Pietro Barbolano
Encyclopedia
Pietro Barbolano was the 28th Doge of Venice. Reportedly a descendent of the legendary Eraclea (after whom the town
near Venice
is named), he was elected by the assembly of the nobles after the deposition of his predecessor, Otto Orseolo
. The dates of his birth and death are unknown.
when they deposed Otto Orseolo following the scandals over nepotism. He was never fully able to win over the Venetians as he was not nearly as charismatic as the two previous Doges from the Orseolo family. For the four years of his reign, he struggled to bring the city back together, but he could not. Because the Orseoli had created so many links between their family and the hereditary ruling dynasties of Europe, various actions were taken against Venice as a retaliation for deposing Otto Orseolo. The Byzantine Emperor not only took Otto Orseolo in as a relative (in fact, he was), but he also withdrew the trading privileges granded to Pietro Orseolo in 992. He tried to obtain from the Holy Roman Emperor
, Conrad II
, a renewal of Venetian commercial privileges that had been granted to them by Otto III
, but he was not able to do so. In the meantime, King Stephen of Hungary
, whose daughter was the wife of Otto Orseolo, attacked Dalmatia
and annexed a number of cities that had been captured by Pietro II.
The Republic appeared to be collapsing and many people went back to supporting Otto Orseolo, though not the Orseolo family as hereditary rulers. In 1032, Pietro Barbolano abdicated under heavy pressure and Otto Orseolo was called back to rule from his exile in Constantinople
. However, when the messengers got there, Otto was approaching his death causing Domenico Orseolo, his relative in Venice, to attempt to seize power. This bold action was extremely ill-received in Venice as the populous displayed its animosity for the notion that an Orseolo was somehow entitled to the Dogeship. Barbolano's successor was chosen in 1032 to be the wealthy merchant Domenico Flabanico
, who had few noble ties, to spite the idea of creating a royal family in Venice.
Eraclea
thumb|250px|right|Location of Eraclea in the province of Venice.Eraclea is a town and comune in the province of Venice, Veneto, Italy. SP42 goes through it.Eraclea Mare is the Lido of Eraclea....
near Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
is named), he was elected by the assembly of the nobles after the deposition of his predecessor, 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....
. The dates of his birth and death are unknown.
Doge of Venice
Barbolano's reign occurred during a rather difficult time in Venice. The people had spoken out against hereditary monarchyHereditary monarchy
A hereditary monarchy is the most common type of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the world's existing monarchies.Under a hereditary monarchy, all the monarchs come from the same family, and the crown is passed down from one member to another member of the family...
when they deposed Otto Orseolo following the scandals over nepotism. He was never fully able to win over the Venetians as he was not nearly as charismatic as the two previous Doges from the Orseolo family. For the four years of his reign, he struggled to bring the city back together, but he could not. Because the Orseoli had created so many links between their family and the hereditary ruling dynasties of Europe, various actions were taken against Venice as a retaliation for deposing Otto Orseolo. The Byzantine Emperor not only took Otto Orseolo in as a relative (in fact, he was), but he also withdrew the trading privileges granded to Pietro Orseolo in 992. He tried to obtain from the Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
, Conrad II
Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor
Conrad II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1027 until his death.The son of a mid-level nobleman in Franconia, Count Henry of Speyer and Adelaide of Alsace, he inherited the titles of count of Speyer and of Worms as an infant when Henry died at age twenty...
, a renewal of Venetian commercial privileges that had been granted to them by Otto III
Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto III , a King of Germany, was the fourth ruler of the Saxon or Ottonian dynasty of the Holy Roman Empire. He was elected King in 983 on the death of his father Otto II and was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 996.-Early reign:...
, but he was not able to do so. In the meantime, King Stephen of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
, whose daughter was the wife of Otto Orseolo, attacked Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
and annexed a number of cities that had been captured by Pietro II.
The Republic appeared to be collapsing and many people went back to supporting Otto Orseolo, though not the Orseolo family as hereditary rulers. In 1032, Pietro Barbolano abdicated under heavy pressure and Otto Orseolo was called back to rule from his exile in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
. However, when the messengers got there, Otto was approaching his death causing Domenico Orseolo, his relative in Venice, to attempt to seize power. This bold action was extremely ill-received in Venice as the populous displayed its animosity for the notion that an Orseolo was somehow entitled to the Dogeship. Barbolano's successor was chosen in 1032 to be the wealthy merchant Domenico Flabanico
Domenico Flabanico
Domenico Flabanico was the 29th Doge of Venice. His reign lasted from the abdication of Pietro Barbolano in 1032 until his death.Before Domenico Flabanico took office, there was a significant chaos in Venice...
, who had few noble ties, to spite the idea of creating a royal family in Venice.