Giovanni Galbaio
Encyclopedia
Giovanni Galbaio was the eighth Doge of Venice
(787–804) according to tradition, but only the sixth historically verifiable one. He succeeded his father Maurizio Galbaio
, who had associated him as doge in 778. The Byzantine emperor Leo IV the Khazar
recognised his title in that year, though the attempt to set up a hereditary monarchy endangered Maurizio's own dogeship.
Giovanni had been briefly held captive by the Lombard
king Desiderius
after a campaign in Istria
, but his father, through the pope, sent ambassadors to Charlemagne
, the king of the Franks, to petition for getting Giovanni's release.
Upon his inheriting, without election, the full office of his father, he immediately began a vendetta against the patriarch of Grado
, who represented the church and its opposition to the slave trade. Charlemagne, a dutiful son of the church and now king of Lombardy, supported the abolition of slavery in his domains and thus came to resent the Venetian commerce in the Adriatic. The patriarch, in the reign of Maurizio, had even instigated the expulsion and confiscation of goods of the Venetian merchants in the Pentapolis
. Giovanni had the Empress Irene name his son Maurizio co-doge.
Trying to counterinfluence the patriarch, Giovanni appointed his sixteen year-old nephew Christopher bishop of Olivolo. The patriarch refused to consecrate him, officially due to his age, but actually because of his anti-Frankish stances. Maurizio II was sent to attack Grado with a flotilla of ships. There the elderly patriarch was thrown to his death from the tower. The opposition to the Galbaii family fled to Treviso while the nephew of the patriarch, Fortunatus, was elected in his stead and immediately fled to the Frankish court. The opposition crystallised under the leadership of one Obelerio degli Antenori
and returned to Venice. Giovanni, with Maurizio and Christopher, fled to Mantua
in 803, where they all probably died. Obelerio succeeded them.
The Galbaio family later returned to Venice and assumed the name of Querini.
Doge of Venice
The Doge of Venice , often mistranslated Duke was the chief magistrate and leader of the Most Serene Republic of Venice for over a thousand years. Doges of Venice were elected for life by the city-state's aristocracy. Commonly the person selected as Doge was the shrewdest elder in the city...
(787–804) according to tradition, but only the sixth historically verifiable one. He succeeded his father Maurizio Galbaio
Maurizio Galbaio
Maurizio Galbaio was the seventh traditional, but fifth historical, Doge of Venice from 764 to his death. He was the first great doge, who reigned for 22 years and set Venice on its path to independence and success....
, who had associated him as doge in 778. The Byzantine emperor Leo IV the Khazar
Leo IV the Khazar
Leo IV the Khazar was Byzantine Emperor from 775 to 780 CE.Leo was the son of Emperor Constantine V by his first wife, Irene of Khazaria , the daughter of a Khagan of the Khazars...
recognised his title in that year, though the attempt to set up a hereditary monarchy endangered Maurizio's own dogeship.
Giovanni had been briefly held captive by the Lombard
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
king Desiderius
Desiderius
Desiderius was the last king of the Lombard Kingdom of northern Italy...
after a campaign in Istria
Istria
Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...
, but his father, through the pope, sent ambassadors to Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
, the king of the Franks, to petition for getting Giovanni's release.
Upon his inheriting, without election, the full office of his father, he immediately began a vendetta against the patriarch of Grado
Patriarch of Grado
This is a list of the Patriarchs of Grado . The patriarchate came into being when the schismatic Patriarch of Aquileia, Paulinus , moved to Grado in the mid 6th century. But in their reunion with Rome in 606, a rival office was set up in Old-Aquileia. Aquileia later entered communion with Rome but...
, who represented the church and its opposition to the slave trade. Charlemagne, a dutiful son of the church and now king of Lombardy, supported the abolition of slavery in his domains and thus came to resent the Venetian commerce in the Adriatic. The patriarch, in the reign of Maurizio, had even instigated the expulsion and confiscation of goods of the Venetian merchants in the Pentapolis
Pentapolis
A pentapolis, from the Greek words , "five" and , "city" is a geographic and/or institutional grouping of five cities...
. Giovanni had the Empress Irene name his son Maurizio co-doge.
Trying to counterinfluence the patriarch, Giovanni appointed his sixteen year-old nephew Christopher bishop of Olivolo. The patriarch refused to consecrate him, officially due to his age, but actually because of his anti-Frankish stances. Maurizio II was sent to attack Grado with a flotilla of ships. There the elderly patriarch was thrown to his death from the tower. The opposition to the Galbaii family fled to Treviso while the nephew of the patriarch, Fortunatus, was elected in his stead and immediately fled to the Frankish court. The opposition crystallised under the leadership of one Obelerio degli Antenori
Obelerio degli Antenori
Obelerio degli Antenori was the ninth traditional Doge of Venice from 804 to 811. He was the son of Encagilio....
and returned to Venice. Giovanni, with Maurizio and Christopher, fled to Mantua
Mantua
Mantua is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the same name. Mantua's historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family, made it one of the main artistic, cultural and notably musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole...
in 803, where they all probably died. Obelerio succeeded them.
The Galbaio family later returned to Venice and assumed the name of Querini.
Sources
- Norwich, John JuliusJohn Julius NorwichJohn Julius Cooper, 2nd Viscount Norwich CVO — known as John Julius Norwich — is an English historian, travel writer and television personality.-Early life:...
. A History of Venice. Alfred A. KnopfAlfred A. KnopfAlfred A. Knopf, Inc. is a New York publishing house, founded by Alfred A. Knopf, Sr. in 1915. It was acquired by Random House in 1960 and is now part of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group at Random House. The publishing house is known for its borzoi trademark , which was designed by co-founder...
: New York, 1982.