Empire · 697–1797 · Europe
Republic of Venice
Also known as Venice
Venice was founded by people fleeing barbarian invasions to the islands of a lagoon at the head of the Adriatic. Traditionally its first doge, or duke, was elected in 697, and the city gradually broke free from Byzantine rule.
Venice grew rich as the middleman between Europe and the eastern Mediterranean, trading spices, silk and slaves. Its merchant aristocracy governed through an elected doge, a Great Council and the powerful Council of Ten, a system that proved remarkably stable. In 1204 Doge Enrico Dandolo diverted the Fourth Crusade to sack Constantinople, giving Venice a chain of colonies including Crete. Venice later conquered a mainland empire in northern Italy, but Ottoman wars and new ocean trade routes eroded its power, and Napoleon ended the republic in 1797.
- Years
- 697–1797
- Capital
- Venice
- Greatest extent
- 1490, about 60,000 km²
- Region
- Europe
Mainland territories in north-east Italy plus Dalmatia, Crete, Cyprus and Aegean islands
Legacy
Venice was a model of republican government and commerce, and its art, architecture and canals made it one of the world's most celebrated cities.
Rulers
- Paolo Lucio Anafesto 697 – 717 (traditional)
Traditional first doge
- Pietro II Orseolo 991 – 1009
Secured the Adriatic and Dalmatian coast
- Enrico Dandolo 1192 – 1205
Diverted the Fourth Crusade to Constantinople
- Francesco Foscari 1423 – 1457
Built Venice's mainland empire
- Ludovico Manin 1789 – 1797
Last doge, abdicated before Napoleon
Realms on the map
- Republic of Venice 705–1796