Alicia or Adelasa (d. ''after'' 1156) was the

Dogaressa Dogaressa ( , , ) was the official title of the wife of the Doge of Venice. The title was unique for Venice: while the head of the Republic of Genoa were also called Doge, the wives of the Doges of Genoa were not called ''Dogaressa'', nor did t ...

of Venice by marriage to the Doge

Domenico Michele Domenico Michiel was the 35th Doge of Venice. He reigned from 1117 to 1130. In August 1122 Domenico Michiel led a Venetian fleet of 100 vessels and around 15,000 men for the defense of the Holy Land. The fleet sailed under the flag of St. Peter, ...

(r. 1117–1130) and the mother of the Doge

Vital II Michele Vitale II Michiel (also spelled ''Vital II Michiel'') was Doge of Venice from 1156 to 1172. Vitale Michiel became Doge of Venice at a time when Venice's relations with the Byzantine Empire were becoming increasingly strained. At the same time, ...

. She was politically active during the reign of her spouse, continued to be a part of the political life after his abdication in 1130, and successfully worked for Vital II Michele's election as

doge A doge ( , ; plural dogi or doges) was an elected lord and head of state in several Italian city-states, notably Venice and Genoa, during the medieval and renaissance periods. Such states are referred to as " crowned republics". Etymology The ...

. Donna Alicia is described as a politically active dogaressaStaley, Edgcumbe:
The dogaressas of Venice : The wives of the doges
', London : T. W. Laurie and is said to have been the partner of Doge Domenico in his projects and ambitions. As dogaressa, she encouraged guilds, crafts, and art, protected charity organisations, and received ambassadors. When her spouse abdicated and entered a monastery in 1130, she made a scandal by refusing to become a nun. She remained active in political life and is said to have acted as a political adviser to several power holders in the city. She used her connections to have Vital II Michele elected doge, a goal she succeeded with in 1156.

Notes

References

* Staley, Edgcumbe:
The dogaressas of Venice : The wives of the doges
', London : T. W. Laurie * http://www.veneziamuseo.it/REPUBBLICA/repdoge10.htm {{end 12th-century Venetian people Dogaressas of Venice 12th-century Venetian women