In 1672 Louis XIV appointed him as his ambassador to the Republic of Venice. From the 15th to the 18th century Venice repeatedly clashed with the Ottoman Empire in seven Ottoman-Venetian Wars, but his embassy fell into a period of peace between the end of the Cretan War (1669) and the beginning of the Morean War (1684). The French had intervened in the Cretan War during the Siege of Candia to gain favour with the pope for his "Most Christian Majesty", but the French expeditions ended in disaster and France pulled out of the war, leading to the fall of Candia. The Venetians felt betrayed and he needed to rebuilt trust and understanding. He engaged in industrial espionage and facilitated the purchase of Italian works of art for the royal collections. He stayed at this post until 1674.