Ordelafo Faliero | |
|---|---|
 Doge Ordelafo Faliero, fromPala d'Oro, Venice | |
| Doge of Venice | |
| In office 1102–1117 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Unknown |
| Died | 1117 |
Ordelafo Faliero de Doni (or Dodoni) (died 1117 inZadar,Kingdom of Hungary) was the 34thDoge of Venice.
He was the son of the 32nd Doge,Vitale Faliero de' Doni. He was a member of the Minor Council (minor consiglio), an assembly formed from members of the so-called "apostolic families" that, inoligarchical Venice, assumed the governmental functions of judges, military councilmen, ambassadors and heads of state.
His first name, which is otherwise unknown in Venetian history, is thought to have been derived from a backwards spelling of the Venetian name "Faledro", or from theOrdelaffi family, of which the Faliero family is thought to be a lineage.
In 1105 the new Croatian king,Coloman of Hungary, enabled by the alliance to the Byzantine EmperorAlexios I Komnenos,[1] launchedcampaign against Venetians, and returned the northeastern Adriatic coast under the crown.
In 1106, a terrible flood happened in Venice. On the island ofMalamocco, the old capital of Venice, the entire community was swept away.
In that same year, a great fire destroyed large areas inRialto. The Basilica of Saint Mark and the then Doge’s Palace escaped with relatively minor damage because of their stone and marble construction. Since then, the use of wood for building was actively discouraged.
In 1110, Faliero fearing the rise of Pisan and Genoese trade in East, was engaged in an expedition toSyria to aid the crusaders, comprising 100 Venetian ships.
The Venetian fleet helpedBaldwin I to captureSidon. As a reward, Venice received a part ofAcre. Also, the Venetians took back the relics ofSaint Stephen the Protomartyr.
In Venice, Faliero established the nucleus of what would become theArsenal. The shipbuilding became a nationalized industry. For its centre Doge chose two islands in the east of the city.
In 1115, Doge managed to retake some of the disputed area in Dalmatia. According to J.Norwich, Holy Roman Emperor Henry V - who had visited the city before the campaign, and Alexius I Comnenos helped the Venetians. Doge reconquered Zadar and several other towns. However, in 1117 he lost his life in a battle benath the walls of Zara.
A peace treaty was then concluded, according to which Zadar devolved upon Venice, whileBiograd,Šibenik,Trogir andSplit remained in theKingdom of Croatia in personal union with Hungary.
Ordelafo Faliero was married toMatelda, traditionally portrayed as an ideal of spousal fidelity.[2]
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| Preceded by | Doge of Venice 1102-1117 | Succeeded by |
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