DORIA, ANDREA (1466-156o), Genoese condottiere and admiral, was born at Oneglia of an ancient Genoese family. Being left an orphan at an early age, he became a soldier of fortune, and served first in the papal guard and then under various Italian princes. But it was as a naval captain that he became famous. For several years he scoured the Mediterranean in command of the Genoese fleet, waging war on the Turks and the Barbary pirates. In the meanwhile Genoa had been recaptured by the French, and in 1522 by the Imperialists. But Doria now veered round to the French or popular faction and entered the service of King Francis I., who made him captain-general; in 1524 he relieved Marseilles, which was besieged by the Imperialists, and helped to place his native city once more under French domination. But Francis was mean about payment, and he resented the king's behaviour in connection with Savona, which he delayed to hand back to the Genoese as he had promised ; consequently on the expiry of Doria's contract we find him in the service of the emperor Charles V. (1528). He ordered his nephew Filippino, who was then blockad ing Naples in concert with a French army, to withdraw, and sailed for Genoa, where he expelled the French once more and re-established the republic under imperial protection. He re formed the constitution in an aristocratic sense, and put an end to the factions which divided the city. He refused the lordship of Genoa and even the dogeship, but exercised predominant influence in the councils of the republic until his death. He was given two palaces, many privileges, and the title of Liberator et Pater Patriae. As imperial admiral he commanded several expeditions against the Turks, capturing Corona and Patras, and co-operating with the emperor himself in the capture of Tunis (1535)• Charles found him an invaluable ally in the wars with Francis, and through him extended his domination over the whole of Italy. Doria's defeat by the Turks at Preveza in 1538 was said to be not in voluntary, and designed to spite the Venetians, whom he detested. He accompanied Charles on the ill-fated Algerian expedition of 1541, of which he disapproved, and by his ability just saved the whole force from complete disaster. For the next five years there was hardly an important event in Europe in which he had not some share. After the peace of Crepy between Francis and Charles in 1544 he hoped to end his days in quiet. But he had many enemies, and in 1547 the Fiesco conspiracy to upset the power of his house took place. His nephew Giannettino was murdered, but the conspirators were defeated, and Andrea showed great vindictiveness in punishing them. He was implicated in the murder of Pier Luigi Farnese, duke of Parma (see FARNESE), who had helped Fiesco. Other conspiracies followed, of which the most important was that of Giulio Cibo (1548), but all failed. Doria successfully opposed the emperor Charles's repeated attempts to have a citadel built in Genoa and garrisoned by Spaniards ; neither blandishments nor threats could win him over to the scheme. Nor did age lessen his energy, for in 155o, when eighty-four years old, he again put to sea to punish the raids of his old enemies the Barbary pirates, but with no great success. War between France and the Empire having broken out once more, the French seized Corsica, then administered by the Genoese Bank of St. George ; Doria was again summoned, and he spent two years in the island fighting the French with varying fortune. He re turned to Genoa for good in 1555, and gave over the command of the galleys to his great-nephew Giovanni Andrea Doria. Andrea Doria died on Nov. 25, 156o, leaving his estates to Giovanni Andrea. The family of Doria-Pamphilii-Landi (q.v.) is descended from him and bears his title of prince of Melfi. Doria was a man of indomitable energy and a great admiral. If he appears unscrupulous and even treacherous he did but con form to the standards of 16th century Italy.
See E. Petit, Andre Doria (Paris, 1887) which is an accurate and documented biography, indicating all the chief works on the subject, but the author is perhaps unduly harsh in his judgment of the admiral; F. D. Guerrazzi, Vita di Andrea Doria (3rd ed., Milan, 1874). Among the earlier works L. Cappelloni's Vita di Andrea Doria (Italian edition, Genoa, 1863) and V. Sigonius's Vita Andreae Doriae (1576) may be mentioned ; see also "Documenti ispano-genovesi del-l'Archivio di Simancas" in the Atti della Society ligure di Storia patria, vol. viii.; the Archivio storico italiano (serie iii. tome iv. parte i., 1866) contains a bibliography, but a great deal has been published since that date.