Pietro Zaguri was born in 1733 into a family that had settled in Venice as early as the sixteenth century, having originally come from the port city of Cattaro, in southern Dalmatia. The family’s origins are reflected both in its original name, “Saraceni”, and in its coat of arms, which features a stylised Moor’s head.
The family’s admission to the Venetian patriciate in the mid-seventeenth century marked a turning point in its social advancement. Nevertheless, the Zaguri family never attained the wealth and influence of Venice’s more established patrician families.
In 1761, Zaguri married Lodovica Grimani, thereby strengthening his ties with one of Venice’s most prestigious noble families. The couple had one son, also named Pietro, who died prematurely in 1795, leaving Zaguri without a direct heir and further weakening the family’s financial position.
Although the marriage had established important connections within the Venetian aristocracy, these were not sufficient to secure the Zaguri family’s long-term financial stability
Pietro Zaguri held several public offices during his lifetime, including those of Avogadore del Comun and senator. However, these positions were largely ceremonial in nature and did not give him a leading role in the Republic’s political decision-making.
The family lived relatively modestly, both at Palazzo Zaguri in Campo San Maurizio, now home to the Casanova Official Museum, and at their country villa in Altichiero, near Padua.
Lorenzo Da Ponte’s description of Zaguri as “more generous than rich, and more a friend to others than to himself” aptly captures the character of a cultured and affable patrician whose wealth was relatively limited.
Although he was not particularly wealthy, Zaguri showed a keen interest in the wider world and in cultural life. In 1780, he travelled to Paris, one of the major centres of European intellectual life at the time. Between 1788 and 1790, he also travelled to Constantinople, at the invitation of a friend who served as ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.
These journeys, relatively unusual among members of the Venetian nobility, reflect Zaguri’s curiosity, open-mindedness and desire to discover different cultures and ways of life, while remaining deeply attached to the traditions and values of Venetian society.
Zaguri witnessed one of the most complex periods in Venetian history: the final decades of the Venetian Republic. He was a keen observer of the political and cultural changes sweeping across Europe, at times critical and at others resigned.
He regarded the ideals of the French Revolution with suspicion, particularly its more violent manifestations, and frequently commented on contemporary events in brief notes, sonnets and personal reflections.
His correspondence also reveals a growing disillusionment with the Venetian patriciate, which he considered increasingly irresponsible and incapable of fulfilling its responsibility to govern the Republic.
The final years of Zaguri’s life were marked by financial and family difficulties. The death of his son in 1795 was a devastating blow, compounded by the growing costs of maintaining Palazzo Zaguri and the family’s other properties, against a backdrop of political and economic uncertainty.
When he died in March 1806, he left his wife Lodovica a considerably diminished estate, consisting largely of properties in poor condition and burdened by mortgages. Following the death of his brother Marco, Bishop of Vicenza, the remaining assets passed into the hands of creditors.
Zaguri also made provisions for what remained of his estate to benefit the diocese and charitable causes. His death marked the decline of a family whose relatively recent rise within the Venetian patriciate had ultimately given way to financial difficulties.
Would you like to discover the palace where Casanova actually lived? Visit the Permanent Museum dedicated to Giacomo Casanova at Palazzo Zaguri.
