Francesco Gondola

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Francesco Gondola (1683).

Not to be confused with Francesco Ghetaldi-Gondola.

Count Francesco Giovanni Gondola also Fran Dživo Gundulić (born 1630 in Dubrovnik - died 1700 in Vienna) was a member of an old noble family from Dubrovnik (then Republic of Ragusa). He was a child of famous poet Ivan Gundulić and Nicoletta Sorgo +1644 (Nika Sorkočević). He joined the Austrian army where he served as a military officer.

In 1655, Francesco participed on a diplomatic mission to Moscow, in his personal diary account he noted that the Russian Tzar Alexis I of Russia, was very happy that one of the leading envoys was of Slavic descent ("od slovinskoga iesika") so that he could speak his own language without the use of interpreter.

Francesco Gondola wrote from Vienna on 22 May, 1672 to his friend Marco Bassegli to ask him to get the republic to name him Duke and as a result to name Trpanj Dukedom of St. Michael of Trpanj. This was necessary because of his position in Vienna. In February 1679, the Austrian companies became reduces since 12 in 6 companies and soon in 3 into the regiments Kaunitz and Hallewyl. However also still 1679 dissolved and together with move Gondola divided into the regiments Mercy, Taaffe and Churprinz and was finally made Commandant of Kürassierregiment since 1682–1699.

He also participated in the Battle of Vienna under the Polish King Jan III Sobieski in 1683. He became Generalfeldwachtmeister in July 27, 1682 and Feldmarschall-Leutnant in September 4, 1685.

The family then obtained fiefdoms from Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor. He first married Maria de Bobali (daughter of Marino de Bobali), who died soon with the first child. His second marriage was with the Countess Maria Victoria (Octavia) Strozzi on April 22, 1674 (d.d. 257, 80, folio 282 Neues Jahrbuch)., they had two children, Franz Gondola,(+1717)k.k General der. Cav. and Sigismund Gondola,k.k Kriegsdiensten. He died in the Renngasse palace in Vienna 1700.

[edit] References

1675 Dezember 1675 bis April 1676: Einquartierung der Kompagnie des kaiserlichen Rittmeisters Gondola
Franz Gondola öster- General und kaiserlicher Kammerherr, der 1655 als mitglied einen diplomatischen Mission des romish-deutschen Kaisers Ferdinand III.nach Moskau zum zaren Aleksej Michajlovic, dem Vater Peters des Grossen gereist war. Sein auf dieser reise italienish geshriebenes Tagebuch.