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Doge Venier reigned from 1554 to 1556. He wanted to create an imposing monument which would also be a monument for his brother and nephews. This was typical of the tradition of ducal tombs from the fourteenth century, and competition between families led to the expansion in scale and numbers of such monuments from the latter half of the fifteenth century. Throughout this period, the most elaborate tombs in Venice were built by or for doges, possibly decorum prevented private persons from emulating them too closely. Doge's monuments typically included a recumbent effigy and figures of Virtues or patron saints, often placed within and architectural framework.
Venier's monument was finished by 1561. It conforms almost rigidly to the pattern of previous ducal monuments. The figure of the deceased lies between Charity and Hope. The lunette with the Pietà between St Francis and the doge is by Alessandro Vittoria. Its classical simplicity distinguishes the monument from the grandiloquence of other funerary monuments in Venetian churches.
Though largely executed by assistants, the tomb succeeds through its controlled opulence and the high quality of its sculptural details. This is especially apparent in the single figure of Hope, shown in the act of turning inward and upward toward the effigy of the doge. It is generally considered the finest of Sansovino's late autograph works.
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