▁committee ▁that ▁super int ended ▁the ▁fort ifications ▁of ▁Z ad ar , ▁then ▁he ▁was ▁prov ved itor ▁over ▁the ▁Republic ' s ▁fort ifications , ▁In ▁ 1 5 4 3 ▁finally ▁he ▁was ▁dispatch ed ▁to ▁negoti ate ▁the ▁purchase ▁of ▁the ▁for tr ess ▁of ▁Mar ano ▁Lag un are ▁in ▁eastern ▁Fri uli , ▁seized ▁the ▁previous ▁year ▁by ▁a ▁band ▁of ▁ro gue ▁Ven et ian ▁subjects ▁loyal ▁to ▁Flor ent ine ▁ren eg ade ▁advent urer ▁Pier o ▁St roz zi ▁from ▁the ▁Aust ri ans , ▁and ▁which ▁threatened ▁to ▁draw ▁the ▁Republic ▁into ▁the ▁Italian ▁War ▁of ▁ 1 5 4 2 - 4 6 ▁then ▁ra ging ▁between ▁H abs burg s ▁and ▁Val ois . ▁The ▁affair ▁was ▁concluded ▁with ▁the ▁he fty ▁dis b urs ement ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁Pier o ▁St roz zi ▁of ▁ 3 5 , 0 0 0 ▁duc ats , ▁in ▁exchange ▁of ▁which ▁the ▁Ven et ians ▁gained ▁the ▁small ▁but ▁strateg ic ▁town . ▁ ▁Sp ons or ship ▁of ▁public ▁art ▁ ▁The ▁offices ▁where ▁he ▁left ▁the ▁greatest ▁mark ▁were ▁certainly ▁those ▁of ▁art istic ▁and ▁architect ural ▁patron age . ▁As ▁pro cur ator ▁of ▁Saint ▁Mark ' s ▁he ▁was ▁responsible ▁of ▁substantial ▁rest oration ▁inter vent ions ▁in ▁the ▁Bas il ica ▁of ▁Saint ▁Mark ' s , ▁and ▁also ▁of ▁the ▁comm enc ement ▁of ▁works ▁on ▁the ▁Bibli oteca ▁Mar ci ana . ▁His ▁experience ▁in ▁over