Silvio "Il Rosso/Silviu'' Barbarigo (June 1, 1435-July 11, 1486) was one of the Supreme Tribunal of the Three State Inquisitors of the Republic of Venice, as the Il Rosso (selected from Doge's councillors). He was a cousin of Marco Barbarigo and a second cousin of Emilio Barbarigo and Agostino Barbarigo, and he belonged to the wealthy House of Barbarigo. Silvio Barbarigo aspired to become the next Doge of Venice after the assassination of Doge Giovanni Mocenigo, but his cousin Marco instead became the Doge. Silvio Barbarigo was killed in Bartolomeo d'Alviano's campaign against L'Arsenale in late 1486, shortly after Marco Barbarigo's death.
Biography[]
Silvio Barbarigo and Dante Moro in 1486
Silvio Barbarigo was born in Venice, Italy, to the wealthy House of Barbarigo, who held high positions within the government. He was introduced to violence at a young age when his father was murdered by his uncle, and he had to live with the man who made him an orphan. Silvio was responsible for killing the Soranzo family, who had conspired against the Barbarigos, using archers to kill them as they ate on Easter. After ten years, Silvio convinced his mother and sister to kill his uncle as revenge for his father.
Using his family's influence, Barbarigo became a councillor to the Doge Giovanni Mocenigo, and he was elected as one of the State Inquisitors of Venice, as the "Il Rosso" (the councillor selected to be one of the Inquistors, nicknamed for their red cape). He also became an affiliate of the Knights Templar Order, as was the rest of his family such as his cousins Emilio Barbarigo, Marco Barbarigo, and Agostino Barbarigo.
In 1485, they met and Marco told Silvio and the others that since Carlo Grimaldi failed to get into Doge Mocenigo's inner circle, they would have to kill the Doge that week. Silvio supplied the untraceable arsenic poison for the attempted assassination, so that they could get rid of Mocenigo without much suspicion from the people of the city of Venice. Silvio attempted to convince the plot's mastermind, Rodrigo Borgia, that he would be the next Doge due to his "doing all the hard work", but Borgia chose Marco instead. Silvio coughed in anger, trying to get Borgia to reconsider, but he was ignored. After the deaths of Grimaldi and Marco, Silvio hid out in the Armory defended by no less than 200 mercenaries.
Death[]
Barbarigo's death
Aided by Bartolomeo d'Alviano, Ezio attacked the armory. Many of the Venetian mercenaries were lured out by the Condottieri, leaving the armory susceptible to attack by Ezio, who moved in. Dante Moro was beaten and Silvio told Dante to follow him to the boats that awaited in the harbor, but Silvio was too slow and he was stabbed in the back and killed first. In his dying breaths, he refused to tell Ezio about the final destination of the boats, but Dante foolishly told Ezio that they were coming back from Cyprus.