Marco Venieri
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The Marchese Marco Venieri was given command of the Greek island of Kythera in 1204, during the Fourth Crusade.
He claimed a family descent from Aphrodite under her other name, Venus. In 1571, the year of the great naval battle in Nafpaktos (the Battle of Lepanto, October 7, 1571), the Venieri donated a number of galleons to the western allies.
Although the main branch of the family lived in Crete, it held control of Kythera until the Campoformio Convention of 1797.
The family spread over the Aegean region, holding power in many other islands including Mykonos.
One of his descendants is the Greek artist Lydia Venieri and the Greek actress of late '80s Irene Venieri
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