Andrea Doria, a Genoese statesman and admiral, born at Oneglia, Nov. 30, 1468, died in Genoa in November, 1560. He belonged to a family celebrated for the great number of distinguished men it had produced since the 12th century. The influence which this family and those of the Fieschi, the Grimaldi, and the Spi-nolas exerted upon the destinies of Genoa was so powerful that the four families were called Magna quatuor Prosapioe, the Dorias and the Spinolas siding with the Ghibelline party, and the other two with the Guelphs. The Dorias boasted of many high functionaries and four distinguished admirals before the 14th century. Their fame, however, was eclipsed by that of Andrea, who in early life was successively employed in the service of Pope Innocent VIII., of the duke of Urbino, and of Ferdinand and Alfonso II. of Naples; and having passed some time in the Holy Land, he distinguished himself after his return to Italy by his exploits against Gonsalvo de Cordova and the Corsicans. In 1513 he was placed at the head of the navy of Genoa, and soon displayed his remarkable naval abilities, especially by clearing the waters of Genoa of pirates.

When political troubles induced him to remove to Monaco, he showed as much public zeal in his retirement as he had while in power, and fitted out at his own expense 12 galleys which he had taken from the corsairs. In the war between Francis I. and Charles V. he accepted the command of the French galleys. After defeating the imperial fleet at Marseilles in 1524, and rendering various other signal services to the cause of France, he took umbrage at the attempt of Francis to injure Genoa by setting up a rival for her in fortifying the city of Savona, and, displeased at the same time with the personal treatment to which he was subjected, he left the French service to join that of Charles V., with whom he stipulated for the freedom of Genoa as the price of his services. By going over to the Spanish-Austrian party he paralyzed the progress of the French in Italy, and expelled them from Genoa (1528). Doria was now invested with the supreme power of Genoa, although he declined the dignity of doge, as this would have prevented him from remaining in the service of Charles V. The senate conferred upon him the name of "the father of peace," and ordered a statue to be erected to him and a palace to be placed at his disposal.

He inaugurated a new form of government, making the office of doge biennial instead of for life, terminated the fatal dissensions between the Adorni and Fre-gosi, and recalled the banished members of the Genoese aristocracy, without however granting them any privileges over the other classes of society. While restoring order and governing the affairs of the republic, he continued to render himself useful to Charles V., who appointed him commander-in-chief of his navy, gave him the principality of Melfi, and raised the number of his galleys to 22. In 1532 he took from the Turks the towns of Coron and Patras in Greece. The conquest of Tunis in 1535 was mainly effected through his skill and bravery. In 1536 he took part in the invasion of Provence, captured Toulon, and carried the war to the gulf of Lyons. After the defeat of the imperial army by the French, he accompanied the emperor to Barcelona; and when a truce was concluded, the interview between Charles V. and Francis I. took place on board of one of Doria's galleys, this opportunity serving at the same time to effect a reconciliation between himself and his former master, the king of France. In 1539 he neglected to avail himself of his superior force to defeat at Prevesa the Turkish fleet under Khair ed-Din (Barba-rosaa) of Algiers; and in 1541, during the fatal expedition of Charles to Algiers, he lost 11 of his galleys.

Returning to Genoa, he applied himself for the rest of his life to the administration of the affairs of the republic, which was disturbed by the revolution instigated by the Fieschi family. In the outbreak of January, 1547. his nephew Gianettino Doria lost his life, which caused Andrea to punish the conspirators with great severity, and Fiesco himself was drowned accidentally. Doria's death, at the age of 92, was deplored by the Genoese as a national calamity.