Pietro IV. Candiano

Pietro IV Candiano († 976 in Venice) was the 22nd Doge of Venice. He reigned from 959 to 976

Family

Pietro was the penultimate of the series of Candiano - Doge, who had replaced the Partecipazio - Doge. From 864-881 the Candiano presented five doges. Vitale Candiano was the 24th Doge 978-979; Mariana Candiano was the wife of the 25th Doge.

Life

Pietro was the son of the 21st Doge Pietro III. Candiano and great-grandson of the 16th Doge Pietro I Candiano. He was married to a woman named Giovanna, of which he, however, separated them. He forced her to stand up as a nun in the convent of San Zaccaria, where it is 963 detected as abbess. His son Vitale he later made Patriarch of Grado. The daughter married Tribuno Marina Memmo, who should climb as the 25th Doge the throne. 966 he married his second wife, the Lambardin Waldrada, a relative of Emperor Otto I. As dowry she brought him estates in Treviso, Friuli and in Ferrara. With Waldrada he had a son named Walafried.

The Dogenamt

Pietro IV was elected by the People's Assembly to the Doge, after he had already been involved as co- regent of his father in power.

In June 960, he made the slave trade to a virtual state monopoly by forbidding adoption by single persons under threat of severe penalties, to deal in slaves.

The relations with the Holy Roman Empire, which manifested themselves in marriage with Waldrada who brought their German court, Otto facilitated the advertising to a Byzantine princess, for which he won a Venetian negotiators, while Venice on December 2, 967 a renewal of its trading privileges on the basis of Pactum Lotharii of 817 reached. These privileges were both Venice and for Candiano and his family. These close ties to the Holy Roman Empire the Byzantine Emperor John angry. John the Venetians threatened with war if they do not einstellten their trade with the Saracens fought against John on many fronts. 971 had to agree to refrain from trading with the Muslims Pietro.

973 died Otto I, who had always patronized Pietro Candiano. His son Otto II had to do with riots and the regulation of its heritage in Germany. The Venetians took advantage of the opportunity and got rid of the unloved Doge. They locked him in the Doge's Palace. A fire that was placed in a neighboring palace, took up the Dogenburg over and destroyed it completely, as well as the surrounding houses. On this occasion also burned the archives for the Dogenburg.

The Doge and his underage son were killed in the escape, their bodies were thrown to the waste of the former meat market. However, you seem a little later thought better of it and buried the two Candiano honorably in the church of San Ilario. The wife of the Doge, who was staying during the fighting on their farms, survived the carnage. The new Doge gave her the dowry, probably not to anger the German Emperor. Candianos son Vitale also survived, fled to Saxony to spin from there against the new Doge intrigue.

Since the Doge's Palace was completely destroyed, the election of the new doge in San Pietro di Castello had to take place.