Vitale Faliero

Vitale Faliero
Coat of arms of Vitale Faliero
Doge of Venice
In office 1084–1095
Personal details
Born	Unknown
Died	1095

Vitale Faliero Dodoni (also known as Falier de' Doni) and usually known in English as Vitale Falier was the 32nd Doge of Venice from 1084 until his death in 1095.

Life

Vitale Faliero was a member of a noble Venetian family, probably from Fano, the son of Angelo, procurator of San Marco, and Candiana Sanudo, daughter of Vitale Sanudo.^[1] A ducal councillor, he was elected Doge after the revolt that overthrew Domenico Selvo in December 1084.

According to the Venetian historian Andrea Dandolo, Vitale Faliero initiated the revolt. However, John Norwich doubts this assumption since Dandolo lived 250 years later and his chronicle about this time is quite inaccurate.

Vitale Faliero is the first Doge whose image is known, being allegedly portrayed next to the high altar of St. Mark's Basilica.

When he became Doge, Venice was supporting the Byzantine Empire in the war against the Normans under Robert Guiscard (see Siege of Durazzo). In the spring of 1095, the Venetian fleet obtained a great naval victory at Butrint (in modern-day Albania) that avenged Selvo's defeat at Corfu. The recovery in the prestige of the city is testified by the visit of Emperor Henry IV, to whom it was allied during the Investiture Controversy against the pope, for the consecration of St. Mark's church, the rebuilding of which was completed at this time.

During the latter part of his reign the city was hit by an earthquake, a sea storm, and a heavy famine.

Faliero died in December 1095. He was married to Cornella Bembo.^[2] His son Ordelafo became a subsequent Doge.

Sources

• Rendina, Claudio (1989). I dogi. Storia e segreti. Rome: Newton Compton.

References

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Doges of Venice

Byzantine period (697–737)
Paolo Lucio Anafesto Marcello Tegalliano Orso Ipato

Regime of the magistri militum (738–742)
Domenico Leoni Felice Cornicola Teodato Ipato Jovian Ceparius John Fabriacus

Ducal period (742–1148)
8th century	Teodato Ipato* Galla Lupanio* Domenico Monegario* Maurizio Galbaio Giovanni Galbaio*
9th century	Obelerio degli Antenori*† Agnello Participazio Giustiniano Participazio Giovanni I Participazio* Pietro Tradonico† Orso I Participazio Giovanni II Participazio♦ Pietro I Candiano‡ Pietro Tribuno
10th century	Orso II Participazio Pietro II Candiano Pietro Participazio Pietro III Candiano Pietro IV Candiano† Pietro I Orseolo♦ Vitale Candiano♦ Tribuno Memmo Pietro II Orseolo
11th century	Otto Orseolo* Pietro Centranico* Domenico Flabanico Domenico I Contarini Domenico Selvo* Vitale Faliero Vitale I Michiel
12th century	Ordelafo Faliero Domenico Michiel Pietro Polani
* deposed     † executed or assassinated     ‡ killed in battle     ♦ abdicated

Republican period (1148–1797)
12th century	Domenico Morosini Vitale II Michiel Sebastiano Ziani Orio Mastropiero Enrico Dandolo
13th century	Pietro Ziani Jacopo Tiepolo Marino Morosini Reniero Zeno Lorenzo Tiepolo Jacopo Contarini Giovanni Dandolo Pietro Gradenigo
14th century	Marino Zorzi Giovanni Soranzo Francesco Dandolo Bartolomeo Gradenigo Andrea Dandolo Marino Faliero† Giovanni Gradenigo Giovanni Dolfin Lorenzo Celsi Marco Cornaro Andrea Contarini Michele Morosini Antonio Venier
15th century	Michele Steno Tommaso Mocenigo Francesco Foscari* Pasquale Malipiero Cristoforo Moro Nicolò Tron Nicolò Marcello Pietro Mocenigo Andrea Vendramin Giovanni Mocenigo Marco Barbarigo Agostino Barbarigo
16th century	Leonardo Loredan Antonio Grimani Andrea Gritti Pietro Lando Francesco Donato Marcantonio Trivisan Francesco Venier Lorenzo Priuli Girolamo Priuli Pietro Loredan Alvise I Mocenigo Sebastiano Venier Nicolò da Ponte Pasquale Cicogna Marino Grimani
17th century	Leonardo Donato Marcantonio Memmo Giovanni Bembo Nicolò Donato Antonio Priuli Francesco Contarini Giovanni I Cornaro Nicolò Contarini Francesco Erizzo Francesco Molin Carlo Contarini Francesco Cornaro Bertuccio Valiero Giovanni Pesaro Domenico II Contarini Nicolò Sagredo Alvise Contarini Marcantonio Giustinian Francesco Morosini Silvestro Valiero Alvise II Mocenigo
18th century	Giovanni II Cornaro Alvise III Mocenigo Carlo Ruzzini Alvise Pisani Pietro Grimani Francesco Loredan Marco Foscarini Alvise IV Mocenigo Paolo Renier Ludovico Manin*
† Marino Faliero (1354–55) was convicted of treason, executed and condemned to damnatio memoriae * Francesco Foscari (1423–57) was forced to abdicate by the Council of Ten * Ludovico Manin (1789–97) was forced to abdicate by Napoleon leading to the Fall of the Republic of Venice