Matteo Zane

Prior to his election as Patriarch, Zane had served the government of Venice. He had been ambassador or holder of similar office to Urbino, Portugal, Spain, Austria and the Ottoman Empire. In the case of the Ottoman Empire he held the office of Bailo in Constantinople, which was considered the key position in the Venetian foreign service. He also supervised all other consuls of Venice throughout the Ottoman Empire and expanded the number of consuls under his direction from nine to ten.

Zane lacked the degree in either theology or canon law, mandated by the Council of Trent. Negotiations by Venice had this requirement waived and postponed Zane's examination on theology by the Pope and a panel of cardinals, as required of all Italian bishops until 1601. Zane was able to pass the examination at that time.

• Mary Laven. Virgin's of Venice: Broken Vows and Cloistered Lives in the Renaissance Convent. New York: Penguin Books, 2002.
• "Patriarch Matteo Zane" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved June 28, 2017
• Eric Dursteller. "The Bailo in Constantinople: Crisis and Career in Venice's Early Modern Diplomatic Corps" in Mediterranean Historical Review Vol. 16 (2001) p. 1-25.