Domenico Contarini (Birthdate unknown, died 1071 in

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

) was the 30th Doge of Venice. His reign lasted from his election in 1043 following the death of Domenico Flabanico until his own death in 1071. During his reign, the Venetians recaptured

Zadar Zadar ( , ), historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian, ; see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Croatia. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar ...

(in present-day Croatia) and parts of

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; ; ) is a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Through time it formed part of several historical states, most notably the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Croatia (925 ...

that had been lost to the Kingdom of Croatia in the previous few decades. The Venetian naval fleet was heavily built up during his reign, the economy thrived, and the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenissima, was a sovereign state and Maritime republics, maritime republic with its capital in Venice. Founded, according to tradition, in 697 ...

had reasserted its control over much of the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

Life

After the capture of Zadar, Venice entered into an era of peace. Domenico maintained friendly relations with the Byzantine Emperors, the

Pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, and the

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (disambiguation), Emperor of the Romans (; ) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period (; ), was the ruler and h ...

, Henry III. Contarini was a liberal builder of churches and monasteries, such as San Nicolò al Lido in

Lido di Venezia The Lido, or Venice Lido (), is an barrier island in the Venetian Lagoon, Northern Italy; it is home to about 20,400 residents. The Venice Film Festival takes place at the Lido in late August/early September. Geography The Lido island is o ...

and Sant'Angelo di Concordia. In 1071, just before his death, he commissioned builders to begin work on expanding and restoring

St Mark's Basilica The Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark (), commonly known as St Mark's Basilica (; ), is the cathedral church of the Patriarchate of Venice; it became the episcopal seat of the Patriarch of Venice in 1807, replacing the earlier cath ...

. By his wish, he was buried at the church of San Nicolò al Lido when he died. His tomb is above the main doorway, surmounted by a portrait bust which shows him wearing the "corno," the distinctive doge's hat. His son, Enrico Contarini, was Bishop of Castello from 1074 to 1108. Enrico was the spiritual leader of an expedition to the Holy Land in 1099–1100 that brought back the remains of

Saint Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Patara (Lycia), Patara in Anatolia (in modern-day Antalya ...

and Saint Theodore the Martyr.

Family

The Contarini were one of the oldest Venetian families whose origins are often linked to the beginning of the city itself. The first historically verified documentation of the Contarini shows up in 960. Over the centuries, the family had branched out and rooted itself in over 20 familial lines. Domenico was the first Doge of the Contarini family. By 1797, when the last Doge reigned, the family would produce 8 doges of their own, including Domenico.

References

Sources

*Rendina, Claudio. (2003). ''I Dogi.'' Storia e segreti. 2.ed. Rome. {{DEFAULTSORT:Contarini, Domenico 01 1071 deaths Domenico 01 11th-century Doges of Venice Year of birth unknown