Francesco Dandolo

Francesco Dandolo († 1339 ) was the 52nd Doge of Venice. He reigned from 1329 to 1339 with him. Venice ferma policy began an expansion of its territory on the mainland, the Terra.

Family

The Dandolo family played in the history of Venice from the 12th to the 15th century an important role. Documented evidence is from the 11th century, but it does not belong to the so-called old families (case vecchie ), that is to list those due to the foundation of the Doganats Venetian families. They made a total of four Doge: Save the Doge Giovanni Francesco Dandolo Andrea Dandolo and Enrico Dandolo. Two women of the family were married to doges, Giovanna Dandolo with Pasqual Malipiero and Zilia Dandolo with Lorenzo Priuli.

Life

Dandolo was one of the most successful diplomats of Venice. He was a long time ambassador of Pope Clement V. and John XXII. at the court of Avignon. Dandolo had the nickname cane ( dog). He was married to Elisabetta Contarini and had three children.

The Dogenamt

Under his reign saw the first skirmishes between the Venetians and the Turks, for the next few centuries Venice competitors for supremacy in the eastern Mediterranean.

Unequal violent but ran the clashes with Mastino della Scala, Lord of Verona, who continued the territorial policy of his uncle Cangrande with the same aggressiveness. Venice found itself threatened by its appropriation of the towns of Feltre, Belluno and Vicenza, but only became active when the Veronese began to control the flow of trade to set up salt pans and finally wanted to set up a trading post in Chioggia. 1336 there was a coalition between Venice and the cities of Florence, Perugia, Siena and Bologna, who were also threatened by Verona.

In contrast to the conventional method in time, Venice gave up an army of mercenaries, but pledged its citizens between 20 and 60 years for military service. In this way succeeded in the Serenissima, to form a force of 40 000 people. The battles took place on the entire territory of Scaliger, with varying fortunes of war for the parties. Finally, however, Mastino was defeated. In March 1337 it came after long negotiations on agreements between the parties, in which the old men again received back their cities and lands. Venice received commercial guarantees for the areas concerned. Mastino, in every sense of the losers, the Qin Emperor Ludwig the Bavarians as a mediator to help, but in which the party of the Doge took, and this also gave the rights over the city of Mestre. On January 24, 1339 peace was ceremoniously sealed in the St. Mark's Basilica. Treviso now belonged to the dominion of Venice, Florence did not get some castles but the city of Lucca, which in Florence led to upsets and was one of the causes for the later tensions between the Serenissima and Florence.

Dandolo died on All Saints 1339th He was buried in the Frari church.