The Doges of Venice

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Doges of Venice

Rising from tribal chiefs in the 8th century, Venice's doges evolved into elected sovereigns, wielding a blend of power both regal and republican. Early Doges, through deft alliances and ruthless purges, secured Venice's independence, laying the foundation for future maritime dominance. As trade flourished, the doges became empire builders, carving their mark on the Mediterranean through daring conquests and shrewd diplomacy. Yet, their reign was often precarious, balanced on a knife's edge between opulent ceremony and brutal power struggles. Extravagant doges who defied the intricate political web met swift and bloody ends, while others, navigating treacherous currents, saw their families sacrificed by vengeful rivals. The rise of rival Italian powers, coupled with the discovery of new trade routes, eroded Venice's maritime monopoly. Internally, the doge's power gradually eroded, becoming increasingly symbolic as councils and committees tightened their grip. The final blow came in 1797 when Napoleon Bonaparte's forces stormed the city, bringing an end to their thousand-year reign.


#	Name	Rule	Birth/Death	Fate
1	Paoluccio Anafesto¹	697–717	–717	murdered at Heraclea during a revolt
2	Marcello Tegalliano¹	717–26	–726	died at Heraclea
3	Orso Ipato	727–37	–737	murdered
►One-year Rule of the five magistri militum: 738–742 (Domenico Leone, Felice Cornicola, Teodato Ipato², Gioviano Cepario, Giovanni Fabriciaco)
4	Teodato Ipato¹	742–56 dep.	–	blinded
5	Galla Lupanio	756–57 dep.	–	blinded
6	Domenico Monegario	757–64 dep.	–	blinded
7	Maurizio Galbaio	767–87	–787	natural death in office
8	Giovanni Galbaio	787–803 dep.	–803?	fled to Mantova where he probably died
9	Obelerio Antenoreo	804–10 dep.	–831	executed
10	Agnello Partecipazio	810–27	–827	natural death in office
11	Giustiniano Partecipazio	827–29	–829	natural death in office
12	Giovanni I Partecipazio	829–36 dep.	–	forced to join a monastery in Grado
13	Pietro Tradonico	836–64	–864	murdered
14	Orso I Partecipazio	864–81	–881	natural death in office
15	Giovanni II Partecipazio (1)	881–87 abd.
16	Pietro I Candiano	887	–887	natural death in office
[15]	Giovanni II Partecipazio (2)	887 abd.	–888	natural death
17	Pietro Tribuno	888–911	–911	natural death in office
►*Eight-month regency under Domenico Tribuno (?)*
18	Orso II Partecipazio	912–32 abd.	–932	retired to the monastery of San Felice di Ammiana
19	Pietro II Candiano	932–39	–939	natural death in office
20	Pietro Badoer (Partecipazio)	939–42	–942	natural death in office
21	Pietro III Candiano	942–59 dep.	–959?	unknown
22	Pietro IV Candiano	959–76	–976	murdered by the mob
23	Pietro I Orseolo	976–78 abd.	–btw 982–97	fled Venice and entered a monastery in the Pyrenees
24	Vitale Candiano	978–79 abd.	–979	retired to the monastery of Sant'Ilario and died there
25	Tribuno Menio	979–91 dep.	–991	sent to the monastery of San Zaccaria where he died
26	Pietro Orseolo II	991–1009	–1009	natural death in office
27	Ottone Orseolo	1009–26 dep.	–	exiled to Constantinople
28	Pietro Centranigo	1026–31 dep.	–1032	exiled to Constantinople where he died
►*Regency under Orso Orseolo: 1031–1032*
29	Domenico Flabianico	1032–42	–1042	natural death in office
30	Domenico I Contarini	1043–71	–1071	natural death in office
31	Domenico Selvo	1071–84 dep.	–c.1087	died a natural death in a monastery
32	Vitale Falier Dodoni	1084–95	–1095	natural death in office
33	Vitale I Michiel	1095–1102	–1102	natural death in office
34	Ordelaf Falier Dodoni	1102–18	–1118	killed in battle at Zara
35	Domenico Michiel	1118–30 abd.	–1130	natural death
36	Pietro Polani	1130–47	–1147	natural death in office
37	Domenico Morosini	1147–56	–1156	natural death in office
38	Vitale II Michiel	1156–72	–1172	murdered
39	Sebastiano Ziani	1172–78 abd.	–1178	retired to the monastery of San Giorgio Maggiore
40	Orio Mastropiero	1178–92 abd.	–1192	natural death
41	Enrico Dandolo	1192–1205	–1205	natural death in office
42	Pietro Ziani	1205–29 abd.	–1229	natural death
43	Jacopo Tiepolo	1229–49 abd.	–1249	natural death
44	Marino Morosini	1249–53	–1253	natural death in office
45	Renier Zen	1253–68	–1268	natural death in office
46	Lorenzo Tiepolo	1268–75	–1275	natural death in office
47	Jacopo Contarini	1275–80 abd.	–1280	natural death
48	Giovanni Dandolo	1280–89	–1289	natural death in office
49	Pietro Gradenigo	1289–1311	–1311	natural death in office
50	Marino Zorzi	1311–12	–1312	natural death in office
51	Giovanni Soranzo	1312–28	1240–1328	natural death in office
52	Francesco Dandolo	1329–39	–1339	natural death in office
53	Bartolomeo Gradenigo	1339–42	–1342	natural death in office
54	Andrea Dandolo	1343–54	1306–54	natural death in office
55	Marino Falier	1354–55 dep.	–1355	executed
56	Giovanni Gradenigo	1355–56	–1356	natural death in office
57	Giovanni Dolfin	1356–61	–1361	natural death in office
58	Lorenzo Celsi	1361–65	–1365	natural death in office (poisoned?)
59	Marco Corner	1365–68	–1368	natural death in office
60	Andrea Contarini	1368–82	–1382	natural death in office
61	Michele Morosini	1382	–1382	died of the Plague
62	Antonio Venier	1382–1400	–1400	natural death in office
63	Michele Steno	1400–13	c.1331–1413	natural death in office
64	Tommaso Mocenigo	1414–23	c.1343–1423	natural death in office
65	Francesco Foscari	1423–57 abd.	c.1374–1457	natural death
66	Pasquale Malipiero	1457–62	c.1392–1462	natural death in office
67	Cristoforo Moro	1462–71	c.1390–1471	natural death in office
68	Nicolò Tron	1471–73	c.1399–1473	natural death in office
69	Nicolò Marcello	1473–74	c.1399–1474	natural death in office
70	Pietro Mocenigo	1474–76	c.1405–76	natural death in office
71	Andrea Vendramin	1476–78	c.1393–1478	natural death in office
72	Giovanni Mocenigo	1478–85	c.1409–85	natural death in office
73	Marco Bargarigo	1485–86	c.1413–86	natural death in office
74	Agostino Barbarigo	1486–1501	c.1420–1501	natural death in office
75	Leonardo Loredan	1501–21	1436–1521	natural death in office
76	Antonio Grimani	1521–23	1434–1523	natural death in office
77	Andrea Gritti	1523–38	1455–1538	natural death in office
78	Pietro Lando	1539–45	c.1462–1545	natural death in office
79	Francesco Donà	1545–53	c.1468–1553	natural death in office
80	Marcantonio Trevisan	1553–54	c.1475–1554	natural death in office
81	Francesco Venier	1554–56	c.1489–1556	natural death in office
82	Lorenzo Priuli	1556–59	1489–1559	natural death in office
83	Girolamo Priuli	1559–67	–1567	natural death in office
84	Pietro Loredan	1567–70	c.1482–1570	natural death in office
85	Alvise I Mocenigo	1570–77	1507–77	natural death in office
86	Sebastiano Venier	1577–78	c.1496–1578	natural death in office
87	Nicolò da Ponte	1578–85	1491–1585	natural death in office
88	Pasquale Cicogna	1585–95	1509–95	natural death in office
89	Marino Grimani	1595–1605	1532–1605	natural death in office
90	Leonardo Donà	1606–12	1536–1612	natural death in office
91	Marcantonio Memmo	1612–15	1536–1615	natural death in office
92	Giovanni Bembo	1615–18	1543–1618	natural death in office
93	Nicolò Donà	1618	1539–1618	natural death in office
94	Antonio Priuli	1618–23	1548–1623	natural death in office
95	Francesco Contarini	1623–24	1556–1624	natural death in office
96	Giovanni I Corner	1625–29	1551–1629	natural death in office
►Vacant: 23 Dec. 1629 – 18 Jan. 1630
97	Nicolò Contarini	1630–31	1553–1631	natural death in office
98	Francesco Erizzo	1631–46	1566–1646	natural death in office
99	Francesco Molin	1646–55	1575–1655	natural death in office
100	Carlo Contarini	1655–56	1580–1656	natural death in office
101	Francesco Corner	1656	1585–1656	natural death in office
102	Bertucci Valier	1656–58	1596–1658	natural death in office
103	Giovanni Pesaro	1658–59	1589–1659	natural death in office
104	Domenico Contarini	1659–75	1581–1675	natural death in office
105	Nicolò Sagredo	1675–76	1606–76	natural death in office
106	Alvise Contarini	1676–84	1601–84	natural death in office
107	Marcantonio Giustinian	1684–88	1619–88	natural death in office
108	Francesco Morosini	1688–94	1619–94	natural death in office
109	Silvestro Valier	1694–1700	1630–1700	natural death in office
110	Alvise II Mocenigo	1700–09	1628–1709	natural death in office
111	Giovanni II Corner	1709–22	1647–1722	natural death in office
112	Alvise III Mocenigo	1722–32	1662–1732	natural death in office
113	Carlo Ruzzini	1732–35	1653–1735	natural death in office
114	Alvise Pisani	1735–41	1664–1741	natural death in office
115	Pietro Grimani	1741–52	1677–1752	natural death in office
116	Francesco Loredan	1752–62	1685–1762	natural death in office
117	Marco Foscarini	1762–63	1696–1763	natural death in office
118	Alvise IV Mocenigo	1763–78	1701–78	natural death in office
119	Paolo Renier	1779–89	1710–89	natural death in office
120	Lodovico Manin	1789–97 abd.	1725–1802	natural death

Notes 1. May not have existed 2. Also known as Diodato Orso
Sources: 1. Claudio Rendina. I dogi: storia e segreti. Rome: Grandi Tascabili Economici Newton, 1993. 2. Francesco Zanotto. Il Palazzo ducale di Venezia, vol. 4. Venice: Stabilimento Nazionale di G. Antonelli Ed., 1861.

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