The Contarini is one of the founding families of

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 ...

https://archive.org/details/teatroaraldicose02tett, Leone Tettoni. ''Teatro araldico ovvero raccolta generale delle armi ed insegne gentilizie delle piu illustri e nobili casate che esisterono un tempo e che tutora fioriscono in tutta l'italia'', 1841. pagina 578 - 591 and one of the oldest families of the

Italian Nobility The Italian nobility ( Italian: ''Nobiltà italiana'') comprised individuals and their families of the Italian Peninsula, and the islands linked with it, recognized by the sovereigns of the Italian city-states since the Middle Ages, and by the k ...

. In total eight Doges to 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 ...

emerged from this family, as well as 44 Procurators of San Marco, numerous ambassadors, diplomats and other notables. Among the ruling families of the republic, they held the most seats in the

Great Council of Venice Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" * Artel Great (bo ...

from the period before the Serrata del Maggior Consiglio when Councillors were elected annually to the end of the republic in 1797. The Contarini claimed to be of

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

origin through their

patrilineal Patrilineality, also known as the male line, the spear side or agnatic kinship, is a common kinship system in which an individual's family membership derives from and is recorded through their father's lineage. It generally involves the inheritanc ...

descendance of the

Aurelii Cottae The gens Aurelia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome, which flourished from the third century BC to the latest period of the Empire. The first of the Aurelian gens to obtain the consulship was Gaius Aurelius Cotta in 252 BC. From then to the ...

, a branch of the Roman family Aurelia, and traditionally trace their lineage back to

Gaius Aurelius Cotta Gaius Aurelius Cotta (124–74 BC) was a Roman statesman, orator, priest, and Academic Skeptic; he is not to be confused with Gaius Aurelius Cotta who was consul twice in the 3rd century BCE. Life Born in 124 BC as the son of Marcus Aurelius Co ...

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states thro ...

of the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( ) was the era of Ancient Rome, classical Roman civilisation beginning with Overthrow of the Roman monarchy, the overthrow of the Roman Kingdom (traditionally dated to 509 BC) and ending in 27 BC with the establis ...

in 252 BC and 248 BC.Girolamo Alessandro Cappellari Vivaro. ''Il Campidoglio veneto''.Antonio Longo. ''Dell'origine e provenienza in Venezia de cittadini originarj''

Marco Barbaro Marco Barbaro (1511 – 1570) was a member of the Venetian noble Barbaro family, and the author of ''Genealogie Patrizie'' and other works in Venetian.''Studies in the Renaissance'', Renaissance Society of America, 1974, University of Texas Press, ...

. ''L'Origine e discendenza delle famiglie patrizie''.

Family

The House of Contarini is one of the twelve founding families of the

Venetian Republic 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 ...

, the apostolic families, and were and remain through extended family consanguinity present in the

Veneto Veneto, officially the Region of Veneto, is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the Northeast Italy, north-east of the country. It is the fourth most populous region in Italy, with a population of 4,851,851 as of 2025. Venice is t ...

's population, represented in over twenty auxiliary and cadet noble branches that include ranks currently among European sovereign, royal and aristocratic descendants. 853 AD marks the first officially verified documentation of the Contarini in the

, with Andrea Contarini named in the testament of Orso Partecipazio, son of

Giovanni I Participazio Giovanni I Participazio (or ''Particiaco'') (died 837) was the tenth (historical) or twelfth (traditional) Doge of Venice from the death of his brother in 829 to his arrest and deposition in 836. History His father, Agnello, had appointed him c ...

. According to manuscripts in the

Biblioteca Marciana The Marciana Library or Library of Saint Mark (, but in historical documents commonly referred to as the ) is a public library in Venice, Italy. It is one of the earliest surviving public libraries and repositories for manuscripts in Italy and ...

and the family archives the Contarini claim direct descent of the Roman gens

through Publius Aurelius Cotta, son of Marcus Aurelius Cotta (

in 74 BC and maternal uncle of

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

), who transferred his family to

Padua Padua ( ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Veneto, northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Padua. The city lies on the banks of the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice and southeast of Vicenza, and has a population of 20 ...

. His grandson, Lucius Aurelius Cotta was elected

prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect' ...

of the Reno; the area around the

Reno Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada–California border. It is the county seat and most populous city of Washoe County, Nevada, Washoe County. Sitting in the High Eastern Sierra foothills, ...

near

Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...

. His first and second son and his male grandchildren continued in this position and added the cognomen Reno, becoming Cotta Reno or Cottareno. The last person to register Cottareno was Marcus Aurelius Cottareno in Padua in 290 AD and subsequently the family name was written as Contareno, or Contarini in Venetian (both the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

and Venetian denomination of the family name have been used interchangeably since). In 338 AD Marcus Aurelius Contareno (or Marco Aurelio Contarini in Venetian),

of Concordia under

Constantine I Constantine I (27 February 27222 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was a Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337 and the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. He played a Constantine the Great and Christianity, pivotal ro ...

, was the first Contarini to permanently move his residence to the Venetian area. In 425 another Marcus Aurelius Contarini took part in the third Consular Triumvirate of

Rialto The Rialto is a central area of Venice, Italy, in the ''sestiere'' of San Polo. It is, and has been for many centuries, the financial and commercial heart of the city. Rialto is known for its prominent markets as well as for the monumental Ria ...

, following the invasions of the

Goths The Goths were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Europe. They were first reported by Graeco-Roman authors in the 3rd century AD, living north of the Danube in what is ...

under

Alaric I Alaric I (; , 'ruler of all'; ; – 411 AD) was the first Germanic kingship, king of the Visigoths, from 395 to 410. He rose to leadership of the Goths who came to occupy Moesia—territory acquired a couple of decades earlier by a combine ...

, who from 402 pillaged the rich provinces of Istria and Venetia and sacked Rome in 410. From the outset the affairs of the early exiles in the islands of the

Venetian lagoon The Venetian Lagoon (; ) is an enclosed bay of the Adriatic Sea, in northern Italy, in which the city of Venice is situated. Its name in the Italian and Venetian languages, ' (cognate of Latin ' ), has provided the English name for an enclosed, ...

were managed by

Consuls A consul is an official representative of a government who resides in a foreign country to assist and protect citizens of the consul's country, and to promote and facilitate commercial and diplomatic relations between the two countries. A consu ...

elected at Padua, including the Contarini. Following the invasion by the

Huns The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th centuries AD. According to European tradition, they were first reported living east of the Volga River, in an area that was par ...

Attila Attila ( or ; ), frequently called Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in early 453. He was also the leader of an empire consisting of Huns, Ostrogoths, Alans, and Gepids, among others, in Central Europe, C ...

in 452 and the destruction of the large Roman cities of

and

Aquileia Aquileia is an ancient Roman city in Italy, at the head of the Adriatic at the edge of the lagoons, about from the sea, on the river Natiso (modern Natisone), the course of which has changed somewhat since Roman times. Today, the city is small ( ...

, the islands became a more permanent refuge for the swelling number of exiles. In 466 the exiles decided upon a form of self-government through the annual election of

Tribune Tribune () was the title of various elected officials in ancient Rome. The two most important were the Tribune of the Plebs, tribunes of the plebs and the military tribunes. For most of Roman history, a college of ten tribunes of the plebs ac ...

s, who ultimately in 539 came under

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

rule through the

Exarch of Ravenna The Exarchate of Ravenna (; ), also known as the Exarchate of Italy, was an administrative district of the Byzantine Empire comprising, between the 6th and 8th centuries, the territories under the jurisdiction of the exarch of Italy (''exarchus ...

, forming a loose association of islands with its capital in

Eraclea Eraclea () is a small city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Venice, Veneto, northern Italy. It is located on the Adriatic coast between the towns of Caorle and Jesolo. History From its founding until 742 AD, the Republic of Ven ...

. According to tradition, in 697 under the guidance of the Patriarch of Grado, twelve Tribunes ruling the

district of Venice elected the first Doge in

, forming the independent

. One of these Tribunes was Marcus Aurelius Contarini. Twentieth century studies, however, cast doubt on the historicity of the first Doge Paolo Luccio Anafesto and his successor Doge

Marcello Tegalliano Marcello Tegalliano (Latin: ''Marcellus Tegalianus'') was, according to Venetian chronicler John the Deacon and some other, much later sources and traditions, the second Doge of Venice, serving (allegedly) from 717 to 726. Since he is not known ...

, suggesting that only following the murder of the Byzantine

viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the Anglo-Norman ''roy'' (Old Frenc ...

Paul Paul may refer to: People * Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people * Paul (surname), a list of people * Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament * Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo ...

Exarch of Ravenna, did the inhabitants of the islands chose their first Doge, Orso Ipato from

. Whoever was historically the first, the Contarini family has since the earliest Venetian chronicles been associated with the birth of the

Republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...

and election of the first Doge. They formed part of the 'duodecim nobiliorum proles Venetiarum' (or the 'twelve noblest families of Venice') and the 12 apostolic families, the oldest of the 247 patrician families in the Great Council following the Serrata of 1297.Chojnacki, Stanley
La formazione della nobiltà dopo la Serrata
in Arnaldi, Girolamo; Cracco, Giorgio; Tenenti, Alberto (a cura di), Storia di Venezia dalle origini alla caduta della Serenissima, 3. La formazione dello stato patrizio, Roma, Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, 1997, pp. 641-725. As the first inhabitants in the lagoon came from what were provinces of

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, ...

in the 5th century, the Rialto initially being governed by a Consular Triumvirate elected at

and subsequently by Tribunes who were elected from among the most prominent members in their former Roman communes, it is not uncommon among the oldest Venetian patrician families to find Roman ancestry (e.g. descended from gens Sulpicii Quirini,

Marcello Marcello is a common masculine Italian given name. It is a variant of Marcellus (name), Marcellus. The Spanish and Portuguese version of the name is Marcelo, differing in having only one "l", while the Greek form is Markellos. Etymology The nam ...

descended from gens

Claudii Marcelli The gens Claudia (), sometimes written Clodia, was one of the most prominent patrician (ancient Rome), patrician houses at ancient Rome. The gens traced its origin to the earliest days of the Roman Republic. The first of the Claudii to obtain t ...

), families who often kept their

praenomina The praenomen (; plural: praenomina) was a first name chosen by the parents of a Ancient Rome, Roman child. It was first bestowed on the ''dies lustricus'' (day of lustration), the eighth day after the birth of a girl, or the ninth day after the ...

traditions and preserved their genealogy. The older branch Aurelli Cottae of the gens Aurelia came to prominence with the election of Gaius Aurelius Cotta as

in 252 BC and again in 248 BC during the

First Punic War The First Punic War (264–241 BC) was the first of three wars fought between Rome and Carthage, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean in the early 3rd century BC. For 23 years, in the longest continuous conflict and grea ...

and by the time Publius Aurelius Cotta moved to Padua four of his

ancestors, including his father, had achieved

consulship The consuls were the highest elected public officials of the Roman Republic ( to 27 BC). Romans considered the consulship the second-highest level of the ''cursus honorum''an ascending sequence of public offices to which politicians aspire ...

in the

. In the Republic of Venice in 1043 Domenico I was elected and became the first Doge in the family Contarini. By 1797, when the last Doge was forced to abdicate, the family had produced eight Doges of their own - the greatest number of Doges in one family. The Contarini count as well 44 Procurators of San Marco, the second most prestigious life appointment after that of the Doge, plus various important ambassadors, diplomats, cardinals and navy commanders among them (in the famous

Battle of Lepanto The Battle of Lepanto was a naval warfare, naval engagement that took place on 7 October 1571 when a fleet of the Holy League (1571), Holy League, a coalition of Catholic states arranged by Pope Pius V, inflicted a major defeat on the fleet of t ...

no less than 6 ships were commanded by Contarini). T

Surviving branch in Brazil

A branch remains in Brazil today. Following the waves of Italian immigration during the late 19th century, members of the Contarini family established themselves in the state of

Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil, being the fourth largest state by area and the second largest in number of inhabitants with a population of 20,539,989 according to the 2022 Brazilian census, 2022 census. Located in ...

, settling in small towns such as

Ponte Nova Ponte Nova is a municipality in central-eastern Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Geography Ponte Nova is located a few kilometers south of the Doce River on a tributary called the Piranga. As of 2020, the population is estimated at 59,875 inhabita ...

, Oratórios and Raul Soares. Through generations, they became part of the local society, maintaining family traditions while integrating into the Brazilian cultural landscape. During the 20th century, descendants of these early settlers spread to other regions and abroad. Notably, a branch of the family now resides in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, particularly in the state of

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

. Among them, descendants continue the family legacy while balancing their Brazilian and American heritage. Today, the Contarini family can still be found in their traditional towns in Minas Gerais, where they maintain deep community ties, as well as across the United States where the younger generations continue the story of this historic name.

Notable members

* Marco Aurelio Contarini,

Roman consul The consuls were the highest elected public officials of the Roman Republic ( to 27 BC). Romans considered the consulship the second-highest level of the ''cursus honorum''an ascending sequence of public offices to which politicians aspire ...

elected at

, took part in the third Consular Triumvirate of

, from 425 to 426 * Aurelio Contarini, son of Marco Aurelio, moved to the

Venetian Lagoon The Venetian Lagoon (; ) is an enclosed bay of the Adriatic Sea, in northern Italy, in which the city of Venice is situated. Its name in the Italian and Venetian languages, ' (cognate of Latin ' ), has provided the English name for an enclosed, ...

s following invasion of

and became

in 453 * Marco Aurelio Contarini, one of 12

s who elected the first Doge in 697 at the initiation of the

Patriarch of Grado The Patriarchate of Grado, also known as the Patriarchate of New Aquileia, was an episcopal see and ecclesiastical province in northeastern Italy, centered in Grado, on the northern coasts of the Adriatic Sea. It was created as a result of an in ...

* Luigi Contarini, Procurator of San Marco in 864 * Antonio Contarini, Procurator of San Marco in 865 * Contarino Contarini, Tribune of Choggia in 880 * Marco Contarini, son of Teodosio, Procurator of San Marco in 899 * Marino Contarini (d. 953),

in 919 * Giovanni Contarini, Ambassador to

Pope John XII Pope John XII (; 14 May 964), born Octavian, was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 16 December 955 to his death in 964. He was related to the counts of Tusculum, a powerful Roman family which had dominated papal politics for ...

in 959 * Marco Contarini, son of Giovanni, Procurator of San Marco in 991 * Domenico Contarini (d. 1074), Bishop of Olivolo or Rialto from 1044 to 1074 * Domenico I Contarini (d. 1071), 30th

Doge of Venice The Doge of Venice ( ) – in Italian, was the doge or highest role of authority within the Republic of Venice (697–1797). The word derives from the Latin , meaning 'leader', and Venetian Italian dialect for 'duke', highest official of the ...

from 1043 to 1071 * Domenico Contarini, son of Giovanni, Bishop of Venice from 1070 to 1091 * Enrico Contarini (d. 1108), Bishop of Castello from 1074 to 1108 * Marco Contarini (d. 1149), son of Giovanni, Procurator of San Marco in 1143 * Bertucci Contarini, captain in the fleet of doge

Enrico Dandolo Enrico Dandolo (Anglicised as Henry Dandolo, and Latinised as Henricus Dandulus; – May/June 1205) was the doge of Venice from 1192 until his death in 1205. He is remembered for his avowed piety, longevity, and shrewdness, and his role in the ...

, conquering

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 1202 and

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

in 1204 during the

Fourth Crusade The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) was a Latin Christian armed expedition called by Pope Innocent III. The stated intent of the expedition was to recapture the Muslim-controlled city of Jerusalem, by first defeating the powerful Egyptian Ayyubid S ...

* Jacopo Contarini (1194–1280), 47th Doge of Venice from 1275 to 1280 * Marino Contarini (d. 1293), Procurator of San Marco in 1286 * Nicolo Contarini, Procurator of San Marco in 1299 * Alberto Contarini, Procurator of San Marco in 1300 * Nicolo Contarini (d. 1331), Procurator of San Marco in 1326 * Elisabetta Contarini, wife of Doge Francesco Dandolo,

dogaressa Dogaressa ( , , ) was the official title of the wife of the Doge of Venice. The title was unique for Venice: while the heads of the Republic of Genoa were also called Doge, the wives of the Doges of Genoa were not called ''Dogaressa'', nor did ...

of Venice from 1328 to 1339 * Stefano Contarini (d. 1352), Procurator of San Marco in 1347 * Zaccaria Contarini, diplomat and

Bailo of Constantinople A bailo, also spelled baylo (pl. / ) was a diplomat who oversaw the affairs of the Republic of Venice in Istanbul, Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, and was a permanent fixture in the city around 1454. The traumatic outcomes of ...

in 1349 * Maffio Contarini, Governor ( Provvedittore) of

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

in 1355 * Andrea Contarini (d. 1382), 60th Doge of Venice from 1368 to 1382 * Antonio Contarini (d. 1386), Bishop of

Adria Adria is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Rovigo in the Veneto region of northern Italy, situated between the mouths of the rivers Adige and Po River, Po. The remains of the Etruria, Etruscan city of Atria or Hatria are to be found below ...

from 1384 to 1386 * Lorenzo Contarini, Procurator of San Marco in 1377 * Andrea Contarini (d. 1443), Ambassador in Rome to

Pope Gregory XII Pope Gregory XII (; ; – 18 October 1417), born Angelo Corraro, Corario," or Correr, was head of the Catholic Church from 30 November 1406 to 4 July 1415. Reigning during the Western Schism, he was opposed by the Avignon claimant Benedi ...

in 1406, the first Venetian Pope * Girolamo Contarini, Governor of

Verona Verona ( ; ; or ) is a city on the Adige, River Adige in Veneto, Italy, with 255,131 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region, and is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and in Northeast Italy, nor ...

in 1408 * Antonio Contarini (d. 1441), Governor of

and played an important role in regaining control of Zadar in 1409 from

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

* Alvise Contarini, Mayor of

Syracuse Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...

in 1406 * Luigi (Lodovico) Contarini, senator of the

Kingdom of Sicily The Kingdom of Sicily (; ; ) was a state that existed in Sicily and the southern Italian peninsula, Italian Peninsula as well as, for a time, in Kingdom of Africa, Northern Africa, from its founding by Roger II of Sicily in 1130 until 1816. It was ...

from 1414 * Andrea Contarini, executed in 1430 by hanging between the two red pillars of the

Palazzo Ducale Several palaces are named Ducal Palace (Italian: ''Palazzo Ducale'' ) because it was the seat or residence of a duke. Notable palaces with the name include: France *Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy, Dijon * Palace of the Dukes of Lorraine, Nancy * ...

following his failed assassination attempt on Doge

Francesco Foscari Francesco Foscari (19 June 1373 – 1 November 1457) was the 65th Doge of the Republic of Venice from 1423 to 1457. His reign, the longest of all Doges in Venetian history, lasted 34 years, 6 months and 8 days, and coincided with the inception ...

* Marino Contarini (d. 1455), Bishop of

Kotor Kotor (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Котор, ), historically known as Cattaro (from Italian language, Italian: ), is a town in Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Bay of Kotor. The city has ...

in 1430, Bishop of

Treviso Treviso ( ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 87.322 inhabitants (as of December 2024). Some 3,000 live within the Venetian wall ...

in 1453 * Stefano Contarini, diplomat and Procurator of San Marco in 1441 * Federico Contarini, diplomat and Procurator of San Marco in 1445 * Nadalino Contarini, Procurator of San Marco in 1459 * Leonardo Contarini, Procurator of San Marco in 1449 * Bartolomeo Contarini (15th century), Governor of the

Duchy of Athens The Duchy of Athens (Greek language, Greek: Δουκᾶτον Ἀθηνῶν, ''Doukaton Athinon''; Catalan language, Catalan: ''Ducat d'Atenes'') was one of the Crusader states set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during ...

on behalf of

Francesco I Acciaioli Francis or Francesco I Acciaioli was the son of Nerio II Acciaioli by his second wife Chiara Zorzi. He succeeded on his father's death in 1451 to the Duchy of Athens under his mother's regency. His mother married the Venetian Bartolomeo Contari ...

Ambrogio Contarini Ambrogio Contarini (1429–1499) was a Venetian nobleman, merchant and diplomat known for an account of his travel to Iran, where he met Giosafat Barbaro.Bertotti, Filippo (1992), "Contarini, Ambrogio", in: ''Encyclopædia Iranica'', Vol. VI, F ...

(1429–1499), Ambassador to Sultan of

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

Uzun Hasan Uzun Hasan or Uzun Hassan (; February or March 1425 – January 6, 1478) was a ruler of the Turkoman (ethnonym), Turkoman Aq Qoyunlu state and is generally considered to be its strongest ruler. Hasan ruled between 1452 and 1478 and presided ove ...

from 1473 to 1476 * Maffio Contarini (d. 1460),

Patriarch of Venice The Patriarch of Venice (; ) is the ordinary of the Patriarchate of Venice. The bishop is one of only four patriarchs in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church. The other three are the Patriarch of Lisbon, the Patriarch of the East Indies an ...

from 1456 to 1460 * Andrea Contarini, Procurator of San Marco in 1463 * Scipione Contarini, Bishop of Torcello from 1471 to 1485 * Giovanni Matteo Contarini, Governor of Albania in 1466 * Contarina Contarini, wife of Doge

Nicolò Marcello image:Interior of Santi Giovanni e Paolo (Venice) - Monumento del doge Nicolo Marcello - Pietro Lombardo.jpg, His tomb Nicolò Marcello (c. 1399 – 1 December 1474) was the 69th Doge of Venice, elected in 1473. He held office for a short period ...

, dogaressa of Venice from 1473 to 1474 * Francesco Contarini, Governor of Albania in 1475 * Federico Contarini,

Provveditore The Italian title ''prov ditore'' (plural ''provveditori''; also known in ; ), "he who sees to things" ( overseer), was the style of various (but not all) local district governors in the extensive, mainly maritime empire of the Republic of Venice. ...

of the

Venetian Navy The Venetian navy () was the navy of the Venetian Republic which played an important role in the history of the republic and the Mediterranean world. It was the premier navy in the Mediterranean Sea for many centuries between the medieval and ea ...

in 1482 *

Gasparo Contarini Gasparo Contarini (16 October 1483 – 24 August 1542) was an Italian diplomat, cardinal, and Bishop of Belluno. He advocated for dialogue with Protestants during the Reformation. Born in Venice, he served as the Republic's ambassador to Charle ...

(1483–1542), diplomat and Bishop of Belluno from 1536 to 1542 * Bertucci Contarini (d. 1490), Procurator of San Marco in 1485 * Girolamo Contarini, Provveditori of the Venetian Navy in 1495 * Pietro Contarini (d. 1495), Venetian governor of Naxos * Giovanni Matteo Contarini (d. 1507), cartographer who designed the 1506 Contarini–Rosselli map * Zaccaria Contarini, Ambassador to King

Charles VIII of France Charles VIII, called the Affable (; 30 June 1470 – 7 April 1498), was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. He succeeded his father Louis XI at the age of 13. His elder sister Anne acted as regent jointly with her husband Peter II, Du ...

in 1491 * Lodovico Contarini,

in 1508 * Antonio Contarini (d. 1524),

from 1508 to 1524 * Bartolomeo Contarini, Ambassador to Ottoman

Sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...

Selim I Selim I (; ; 10 October 1470 – 22 September 1520), known as Selim the Grim or Selim the Resolute (), was the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to 1520. Despite lasting only eight years, his reign is ...

in 1517 * Carlo Contarini, Ambassador to

Archduke Archduke (feminine: Archduchess; German: ''Erzherzog'', feminine form: ''Erzherzogin'') was the title borne from 1358 by the Habsburg rulers of the Archduchy of Austria, and later by all senior members of that dynasty. It denotes a rank within ...

Ferdinand I in 1523 * Bernardo Contarini,

Bailo ''Bailo'' or ''baylo'' (plural ''baili'' or ''bayli'') is a Venetian title that derives from the Latin term '' baiulus'', meaning "porter, bearer". In English, it may be translated bailiff, or otherwise rendered as bailey, baili, bailie, bailli o ...

Nafplio Nafplio or Nauplio () is a coastal city located in the Peloponnese in Greece. It is the capital of the regional unit of Argolis and an important tourist destination. Founded in antiquity, the city became an important seaport in the Middle Ages du ...

in 1524 * Giovanni Contarini, Provveditori of the Venetian Navy in 1528 * Luigi Contarini,

in 1531 * Paolo and Francesco Contarini, patricians who commissioned the

Villa Contarini Villa Contarini is a mostly Baroque-style, patrician rural palace in Piazzola sul Brenta, province of Padova, in the region of the Veneto of northern Italy. The villa is spread over a 40 hectare area, with canals, and a lake. Now owned by the g ...

Piazzola sul Brenta Piazzola sul Brenta is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Padua in the Italian region Veneto, located about west of Venice and about northwest of Padua Padua ( ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Veneto, northern Ita ...

in 1546 * Giacomo Contarini (1536–1595), Venetian patron and collector of mathematical instruments * Pietro Contarini (1591–1563),

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 ...

Charles V Charles V may refer to: Kings and Emperors * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise Others * Charles V, Duke ...

from 1529 to 1533, Ambassador in Rome to

Pope Paul III Pope Paul III (; ; born Alessandro Farnese; 29 February 1468 – 10 November 1549) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 October 1534 to his death, in November 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era follo ...

in 1538 * Alessandro Contarini (d. 1553), Procurator of San Marco in 1538 * Tomasso Contarini, Governor of Verona in 1541, Procurator of San Marco in 1557 * Giulio Contarini, Bishop of Belluno from 1542 to 1575 * , Patriarch of Venice from in 1554 * Tomasso Contarini, Procurator of San Marco in 1558 * Tomasso Contarini, Ambassador to

in 1535 and Procurator of San Marco in 1543 * Francesco Contarini, Ambassador to

Pope Paul IV Pope Paul IV (; ; 28 June 1476 – 18 August 1559), born Gian Pietro Carafa, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 23 May 1555 to his death, in August 1559. While serving as papal nuncio in Spain, he developed ...

in 1555, Ambassador to

and Procurator of San Marco in 1556 * Giovanni Contarini (1549–1605), painter of the Venetian School * Francesco Contarini,

Bishop of Paphos The Diocese of Paphos (Latin: ''Dioecesis Paphensis'') was a Roman Catholic diocese in the city of Paphos, on the island of Cyprus. It was erected in 1196 and suppressed in 1570 Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

in 1570 * Luigi Contarini (d. 1579), Ambassador to the Duke of Ferrara in 1569, Ambassador to King

Charles IX of France Charles IX (Charles Maximilien; 27 June 1550 – 30 May 1574) was List of French monarchs, King of France from 1560 until his death in 1574. He ascended the French throne upon the death of his brother Francis II of France, Francis II in 1560, an ...

in 1577 * Federico Contarini, Procurator of San Marco in 1570 * Leonardo Contarini, Ambassador in Germany in 1571 * Girolamo Contarini, Procurator of San Marco in 1571 * Cecilia Contarini, wife of Doge

Sebastiano Venier Sebastiano Venier (or Veniero) (c. 1496 – 3 March 1578) was Doge of Venice from 11 June 1577 to 3 March 1578. He is best remembered in his role as the Venetian admiral at the Battle of Lepanto. Biography Venier was born in Venice around 1496. ...

, admiral of the fleet at the

, dogaressa of Venice from 1577 to 1578 * Tomaso Contarini (d. 1617), Governor of

Vicenza Vicenza ( , ; or , archaically ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, where it straddles the Bacchiglione, River Bacchiglione. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and e ...

in 1589, later Ambassador to the

Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, commonly referred to in historiography as the Dutch Republic, was a confederation that existed from 1579 until the Batavian Revolution in 1795. It was a predecessor state of the present-day Netherlands ...

, Ambassador to Holy Roman Emperor

Rudolf II Rudolf II (18 July 1552 – 20 January 1612) was Holy Roman Emperor (1576–1612), King of Hungary and Croatia (as Rudolf I, 1572–1608), King of Bohemia (1575–1608/1611) and Archduke of Austria (1576–1608). He was a member of the H ...

, Ambassador to

Pope Paul V Pope Paul V (; ) (17 September 1552 – 28 January 1621), born Camillo Borghese, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 16 May 1605 to his death, in January 1621. In 1611, he honored Galileo Galilei as a mem ...

* Zaccaria Contarini, Ambassador to

Pope Gregory XIV Pope Gregory XIV (; ; 11 February 1535 – 16 October 1591), born Niccolò Sfondrato or Sfondrati, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 5 December 1590 to his death, in October 1591. Early career Niccolò S ...

in 1590, Ambassador to

Pope Clement VIII Pope Clement VIII (; ; 24 February 1536 – 3 March 1605), born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 30 January 1592 to his death in March 1605. Born in Fano, Papal States to a prominen ...

in 1596, Procurator of San Marco in 1599 * Giovanni Paolo Contarini, Procurator of San Marco in 1594 * Tommaso Contarini,

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

Candia The name Candia can refer to: People * The House of Candia, a noble family from Savoy (14th-16th) * Alfredo Ovando Candía, 56th president of Bolivia * Antoinette Candia-Bailey, American academic administrator * Cecilia Maria de Candia, British-It ...

from 1597 to 1604 * Girolamo Contarini, Bishop of Capo d'Istria from 1600 to 1619 * Bernardo Contarini, Procurator of San Marco in 1602 * Piero Contarini, Ambassador to

Charles Emmanuel I Charles Emmanuel I (; 12 January 1562 – 26 July 1630), known as the Great, was the Duke of Savoy and ruler of the Savoyard states from 30 August 1580 until his death almost 50 years later in 1630, he was the longest-reigning Savoyard monarch ...

Duke of Savoy The titles of the count of Savoy, and then duke of Savoy, are titles of nobility attached to the historical territory of Savoy. Since its creation, in the 11th century, the House of Savoy held the county. Several of these rulers ruled as kings at ...

in 1606 * Tomaso Contarini, Ambassador to

in 1612 * Piero Contarini, Ambassador to

in 1606, Ambassador to

, Ambassador to King

James I James I may refer to: People *James I of Aragon (1208–1276) * James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327) * James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu * James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347) *James I of Cyprus (1334� ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

in 1617 * Simone Contarini,

in 1608, Ambassador to King

Louis XIII of France Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown. ...

in 1617, Ambassador to Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II in 1619, Procurator of San Marco in 1620, Ambassador to King

Philip IV of Spain Philip IV (, ; 8 April 160517 September 1665), also called the Planet King (Spanish: ''Rey Planeta''), was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip is remembered for his patronage of the ...

in 1621, Ambassador to

Mustafa I Mustafa I (; ‎; ; 1600/1602 – 20 January 1639) was twice the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 22 November 1617 to 26 February 1618, and from 20 May 1622 to 10 September 1623. He was the son of sultan Mehmed III and Halime Sultan. Earl ...

in 1622, Ambassador to King

in 1625 * Gasparo Contarini, Ambassador to the

in 1608 * Alvise Contarini, Ambassador to

in 1613 * Francesco Contarini (1556–1624), 95th Doge of Venice from 1623 to 1624 * Angelo Contarini (d. 1657), Ambassador to King

Charles I of England Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland, and Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland from 27 March 1625 until Execution of Charles I, his execution in 1649. Charles was born ...

in 1625, Ambassador to

Pope Urban VIII Pope Urban VIII (; ; baptised 5 April 1568 – 29 July 1644), born Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 August 1623 to his death, in July 1644. As pope, he expanded the papal terri ...

in 1629, Ambassador to the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III in 1637, Ambassador to

in 1638, Ambassador to Pope Urban VIII in 1640, Procurator of San Marco in 1642, Ambassador to

in 1642, Ambassador to

Pope Innocent X Pope Innocent X (6 May 1574 – 7 January 1655), born Giovanni Battista Pamphilj (or Pamphili), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 September 1644 to his death, in January 1655. Born in Rome of a family fro ...

in 1646 * Alvise Contarini (1597–1651), Ambassador to King

in 1627, Ambassador to King

, Ambassador to

in 1632,

in 1636, mediator in Congress of Munster from 1641 until signing of

Peace of Westphalia The Peace of Westphalia (, ) is the collective name for two peace treaties signed in October 1648 in the Westphalian cities of Osnabrück and Münster. They ended the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and brought peace to the Holy Roman Empire ...

in 1648 * Nicolò Contarini (1553–1631), 97th Doge of Venice from 1630 to 1631 * Giorgio Contarini, Governor of

in 1638 * Andrea Contarini, son of Doge Carlo Contarini, Procurator of San Marco in 1645, Ambassador to King

John II Casimir Vasa John II Casimir Vasa (; ; 22 March 1609 – 16 December 1672) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1648 to his abdication in 1668 as well as a claimant to the throne of Sweden from 1648 to 1660. He was the first son of Sigis ...

of Poland in 1649, Ambassador to

Pope Clement IX Pope Clement IX (; ; 28 January 1600 – 9 December 1669), born Giulio Rospigliosi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 20 June 1667 to his death in December 1669. Giulio Rospigliosi was born into the noble Ro ...

in 1667 and to

Pope Clement X Pope Clement X (; ; 13 July 1590 – 22 July 1676), born Emilio Bonaventura Altieri, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 April 1670 to his death on 22 July 1676. Emilio Bonaventura Altieri, born in Rome in ...

in 1670 * Tomaso Contarini,

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 ...

in 1647 * Angelo Contarini, Governor of Verona in 1649 * Giulio Contarini, Procurator of San Marco in 1651 * Francesco Contarini, Governor of Verona in 1651 * Vicenzo Contarini, Ambassador to England (

Council of State A council of state is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head ...

) in 1653 * Giacomo Contarini, Governor of Verona in 1653 * Carlo Contarini (1580–1656), 100th Doge of Venice from 1655 to 1656 * Girolamo Contarini, Captain of

galleon Galleons were large, multi-decked sailing ships developed in Spain and Portugal. They were first used as armed cargo carriers by Europe, Europeans from the 16th to 18th centuries during the Age of Sail, and they were the principal vessels dr ...

in 1657,

and

in 1667 *

Domenico II Contarini Domenico II Contarini (Venice, January 28, 1585 – Venice, January 26, 1675) was the 104th Doge of Venice, reigning from his election on October 16, 1659 until his death. Background, 1585–1659 Domenico Contarini was the son of Giulio Contari ...

(1585–1675), 104th Doge of Venice from 1659 to 1675 * Marco Contarini (d. 1689), Procurator of San Marco in 1662 * Carlo Contarini, Ambassador to King

Charles II of Spain Charles II (6 November 1661 – 1 November 1700) was King of Spain from 1665 to 1700. The last monarch from the House of Habsburg, which had ruled Spain since 1516, he died without an heir, leading to a European Great Power conflict over the succ ...

* Alvise Contarini (1601–1684), 106th Doge of Venice from 1676 to 1684 * Domenico Contarini, Ambassador to Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I * Carlo Contarini, Procurator of San Marco in 1685 * Pietro Contarini, Procurator of San Marco in 1701 * Girolamo Contarini,

Corfu Corfu ( , ) or Kerkyra (, ) is a Greece, Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands; including its Greek islands, small satellite islands, it forms the margin of Greece's northwestern frontier. The island is part of the Corfu (regio ...

in 1701 * Luigi Contarini, Procurator of San Marco 1703 * Antonio Contarini, Governor of Verona in 1713 * Polissena Contarini da Mula, wife of Doge Alvise Giovanni Mocenigo, dogaressa of Venice from 1771 to 1778 * Count

Nicolò Bertucci Contarini Count Nicolò Bertolucci Contarini (26 September 1780 – 16 April 1849) was an Italian nobleman and amateur naturalist. He collected plants and insects around Venice and published several catalogues. Contarini was born in Venice in a noble fa ...

(1780–1849), naturalist * (1841–1908), mayor of

Agrigento Agrigento (; or ) is a city on the southern coast of Sicily, Italy and capital of the province of Agrigento. Founded around 582 BC by Greek colonists from Gela, Agrigento, then known as Akragas, was one of the leading cities during the golden ...

and

senator for life A senator for life is a member of the senate or equivalent upper chamber of a legislature who has life tenure. , five Italian senators out of 205, two out of the 41 Burundian senators, one Congolese senator out of 109, and all members of the Bri ...

, Kingdom of Sicily File:Palazzo Corner Contarini dei Cavalli (Venice).jpg, Palazzo Corner Contarini dei Cavalli File:Palazzo Contarini delle Figure (Venice).JPG, Palazzo Contarini delle Figure File:Palazzo Contarini de Corfù.jpg, Palazzo Contarini Corfù File:Palazzo Venier Contarini (Venice).jpg, Palazzo Venier Contarini File:Palazzo Contarini del Zaffo Polignac Venezia.jpg, Palazzo Contarini Polignac File:Palazzo Contarini degli Scrigni (Venice).jpg, Palazzo Contarini degli Scrigni File:Palazzo Contarini dal Zaffo (Venice) - Facade.jpg, Palazzo Contarini dal Zaffo File:Pal contarini pisani gran canal.JPG, Palazzo Contarini Pisani File:Venezia - Palazzo Contarini Fasan.jpg, Palazzo Contarini Fasan

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Contarini, House of Italian noble families Surnames Republic of Venice families

Family

Surviving branch in Brazil

Notable members

See also

References