Domenico Flabanico
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Pietro Barbolano
Pietro Barbolano was the 28th Doge of Venice. Reportedly a descendent of the legendary Eraclea , he was elected by the assembly of the nobles after the deposition of his predecessor, Otto Orseolo...
in 1032 until his death.
Before Domenico Flabanico took office, there was a significant chaos in Venice. His predecessor had abdicated the position of Doge following extensive public pressure to reinstate Otto Orseolo
Otto Orseolo
Otto Orseolo was the Doge of Venice from 1008 to 1026. He was the third son of Pietro II Orseolo, whom he succeeded at the age of sixteen, becoming the youngest doge in Venetian history....
, but when it was found out that Otto Orseolo was dying, Domenico Orseolo, Otto's less popular relative, public outcry in Venice was great regarding the apparent onset of a nepotistic hereditary monarchy. Flabanico, a successful merchant and popular individual, but less than noble, was elected to spite the notion of royal blood.
Under Flabanico, new laws were instilled to limit the powers of the Doge against creating a hereditary monarchy and passing many new acts. In this time, Venice went through a period of infighting and decline. Flabanico was hardly capable of maintaining the diplomatic relationships that were necessary for adequate foreign policy and he let the economy of the Republic of Venice slip due to a general decline in confidence of the Republic. It was only thanks to his successor, Domenico Contarini
Domenico I Contarini
Domenico Contarini was the 30th Doge of Venice. His reign lasted from his election following the death of Domenico Flabanico in 1043 until his own death in 1071. During his reign, the Venetians recaptured Zadar and parts of Dalmatia that had been lost to the Kingdom of Croatia in the previous few...
, that the Republic was restored to a new era of prosperity. He died in 1043, marking the end of more than a decade of rule.