Jacopo Contarini was the 47th Doge of Venice

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...

, from 6 September 1275 to his abdication on 6 March 1280.

Although he came from one of the most illustrious Venetian families, Contarini was not considered an influential person and he was probably chosen as a compromise between the two major factions. Being already in his eighties and unable to face the position's challenges - a revolt 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...

 and Crete

Crete

Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...

 and a war with Ancona

Ancona

Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....

 - he abdicated as Doge after five years and retired to a monastery, where he died the same year. He was probably buried in the church of Frari.