Caterino Zeno

Caterino Zeno (12 July 1418 – 1478) was an Italian politician and diplomat of Republic of Venice, known for having been ambassador to Aq Qoyunlu's ruler Uzun Hassan.

[1][2] From 1448 he began to hold public offices: he was State Advocate for the minor curiae (1448–1450), he was elected numerous times to the Council of Forty (1448–1455) and was caposestiere of San Marco (1450).

[1][2] In 1455 Caterino financed a commercial route to Syria and Beirut, in 1463 he was captain of a ship and in 1467 port officer in Venice, responsible for the transport of goods.

Caterino was also chosen because his wife was said to be a relative of one of Uzun Hassan's consorts, the Byzantine princess Theodora Despina Komnene (but their relationship and their degree of kinship is still uncertain and unproven[3]).

[4] Caterino Zeno laid the foundations of a solid alliance which survived even when he returned to Europe with Uzun Hassan's reply ( his place in Aq Qoyunlu was taken by Giosafat Barbaro and Ambrogio Contarini).