List of Venetian Doges

List of Venetian Doges. This post gives a list of all 120 Doges of Venice, ordered by the dates of their reigns. For more than 1,000 years, the chief magistrate and leader of the city of Venice and later of the Most Serene Republic of Venice was styled the Doge, a rare but not unique Italian title derived from the Latin word “dux” (a military leader).

The Doges of Venice were elected for life by the city-state’s aristocracy. The Venetian combination of elaborate monarchic pomp and a republican (though “aristocratic”) constitution, with intricate checks and balances; makes “La Serenissima” (Venice) a textbook example of a crowned republic.

Despite the great power given to them, the Venetian Doges were restricted by law (unlike the Doges of the Republic of Genoa) to spend the rest of their lives inside the Doge’s Palace complex and St Mark’s Basilica, occasionally leaving for diplomatic reasons.

Funeral Monument of Doge Michele Morosini, Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Venice

List of Venetian Doges – Timeline

7th century

Paolo Lucio Anafesto (697–717) first doge (Latin: dux), dependent on the Exarchate of Ravenna

8th century

Marcello Tegalliano (717–726)
Orso Ipato (726–737) nominated by the popular assembly opposed to the iconoclast policies of the Byzantine Emperor; murdered by rebels during a civil conflict

Brief Interregnum (737–742). Following the murder of the doge Orso Ipato in 737, the Exarch of Ravenna imposed administration by annual “magistri militum” on Venice.

Domenico Leoni (Dominicus Leo Abrogatis) – (737)
Felice Cornicola (738)
Teodato Ipato (739)
Gioviano Cepanico Ipato (740)
Giovanni Fabriciaco (741)

Resumption of the Office of Doge

Teodato Ipato (742–755) deposed, blinded, and exiled
Galla Gaulo (755–756) deposed, blinded, and exiled
Domenico Monegario (756–764) deposed, blinded, and exiled
Maurizio Galbaio (764–787)
Giovanni Galbaio (787–804) fled to Mantua in 803 with family, where they all probably died

9th century

Obelerio Antenoreo (804–811) exiled, attempted to return to power, killed & head displayed in the market
Agnello Participazio (811–827)
Giustiniano Participazio (827–829)
Giovanni I Participazio (829–837) arrested, and tonsured (head shaved like monk)
Pietro Tradonico (837–864) assassinated, although in this case his successor arrested and executed the assassins
Orso I Participazio (864–881)
Giovanni II Participazio (881–887) resigned due to poor health
Pietro I Candiano (887–888) killed in open battle while invading the Narentines
Pietro Tribuno (888–912)

Doge Leonardo Loredan, portrait by Giovanni Bellini.

10th century

Orso II Participazio (912–932)
Pietro II Candiano (932–939)
Pietro Participazio (939–942)
Pietro III Candiano (942–959)
Pietro IV Candiano (959–976) people of Venice locked him in palace with son while it burned
Pietro I Orseolo (976–978) resigned to become a Camaldolese hermit in the Abbey of Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa in the Pyrenees
Vitale Candiano (978–979) abdicated, for health reasons
Tribuno Memmo (979–991)
Pietro II Orseolo (991–1009)

11th century

Otto Orseolo (1009–1026) arrested, beard shaved, and banished to Constantinople for nepotism. He was the father of Peter Orseolo, King of Hungary.
Pietro Barbolano (1026–1032) abdicated under heavy pressure to reinstate Otto Orseolo
Domenico Flabanico (1032–1043)
Domenico Contarini (1043–1071)
Domenico Selvo (1071–1084) deposed peacefully to a monastery because of naval defeat, died three years later
Vitale Faliero (1084–1096)
Vitale I Michiel (1096–1102)

Doge Francesco Erizzo by Bernardo Strozzi

12th century

Enrico Dandolo preaching the Fourth Crusade.

Ordelafo Faliero (1102–1117)
Domenico Michele (1117–1130)
Pietro Polani (1130–1148)
Domenico Morosini (1148–1156)
Vital II Michele (1156–1172)
Sebastiano Ziani (1172–1178)
Orio Mastropiero (1178–1192)
Enrico Dandolo (1192–1205)

13th century

Pietro Ziani (1205–1229)
Jacopo Tiepolo (1229–1249)
Marino Morosini (1249–1252)
Reniero Zeno (1252–1268)
Lorenzo Tiepolo (1268–1275)
Jacopo Contarini (1275–1280)
Giovanni Dandolo (1280–1289)
Pietro Gradenigo (1289–1311)

Doge Andrea Gritti portrayed by Tiziano

14th century

Marino Zorzi (1311–1312)
Giovanni Soranzo (1312–1328)
Francesco Dandolo (1328–1339)
Bartolomeo Gradenigo (1339–1342)
Andrea Dandolo (1342–1354)
Marino Faliero (1354–1355) – convicted of treason, executed and condemned to “damnatio memoriae“
Giovanni Gradenigo (1355–1356)
Giovanni Dolfin (1356–1361)
Lorenzo Celsi (1361–1365)
Marco Cornaro (1365–1367)
Andrea Contarini (1367–1382)
Michele Morosini (1382–1382)
Antonio Venier (1382–1400)
Michele Steno (1400–1413)

15th century

Tommaso Mocenigo (1413–1423)
Francesco Foscari (1423–1457) – forced to abdicate by the Council of Ten
Pasquale Malipiero (1457–1462)
Cristoforo Moro (1462–1471)
Nicolò Tron (1471–1473)
Nicolò Marcello (1473–1474)
Pietro Mocenigo (1474–1476)
Andrea Vendramin (1476–1478)
Giovanni Mocenigo (1478–1485)
Marco Barbarigo (1485–1486)
Agostino Barbarigo (1486–1501)

Doge Carlo Ruzzini by Gregorio Lazzarini.

16th century

Leonardo Loredan (1501–1521)
Antonio Grimani (1521–1523)
Andrea Gritti (1523–1538)
Pietro Lando (1538–1545)
Francesco Donato (1545–1553)
Marcantonio Trevisan (1553–1554)
Francesco Venier (1554–1556)
Lorenzo Priuli (1556–1559)
Girolamo Priuli (1559–1567)
Pietro Loredan (1567–1570)
Alvise I Mocenigo (1570–1577)
Sebastiano Venier (1577–1578)
Nicolò da Ponte (1578–1585)
Pasqual Cicogna (1585–1595)
Marino Grimani (1595–1606)

17th century

Leonardo Donato (1606–1612)
Marcantonio Memmo (1612–1615)
Giovanni Bembo (1615–1618)
Nicolò Donato (1618–1618)
Antonio Priuli (1618–1623)
Francesco Contarini (1623–1624)
Giovanni I Cornaro (1624–1630)
Nicolò Contarini (1630–1631)
Francesco Erizzo (1631–1646)
Francesco Molin (1646–1655)
Carlo Contarini (1655–1656)
Francesco Cornaro (1656–1656)
Bertuccio Valiero (1656–1658)
Giovanni Pesaro (1658–1659)
Domenico II Contarini (1659–1674)
Nicolò Sagredo (1674–1676)
Alvise Contarini (1676–1683)
Marcantonio Giustinian (1683–1688)
Francesco Morosini (1688–1694)
Silvestro Valiero (1694–1700)
Alvise II Mocenigo (1700–1709)

18th century

Giovanni II Cornaro (1709–1722)
Sebastiano Mocenigo (1722–1732)
Carlo Ruzzini (1732–1735)
Alvise Pisani (1735–1741)
Pietro Grimani (1741–1752)
Francesco Loredan (1752–1762)
Marco Foscarini (1762–1763)
Alvise Giovanni Mocenigo (1763–1779)
Paolo Renier (1779–1789)
Ludovico Manin (1789–1797) – forced to abdicate by Napoleon

Doge Michele Steno (1400-1413)

After the Fall of the Republic of Venice, the position of Doge was abolished. Instead, from 1806 to 1866, a Podestà of Venice was appointed by the rulers of the city: Napoleon and the Habsburgs.

In 1860, the nascent Kingdom of Italy, created the office of the Mayor of Venice (Sindaco di Venezia), chosen by the City council.

From 1946 to 1993, the Mayor of Venice was chosen by the City Council. Since 1993, under provisions of new local administration law, the Mayor of Venice has been chosen by popular election, originally every four and later, every five years.

LINKS (internal–external)

See my other blog post – The Doges of Venice

VIDEO: Venice, Italy: The Doge’s Palace – Rick Steves’ Europe Travel Guide

The List of Venetian Doges The List of Venetian Doges The List of Venetian Doges The List of Venetian Doges

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