Enrico Dandolo (c. 1092-1182) was

Patriarch of Grado This is a list of the Patriarchs of Grado (north-eastern Italy).
'' Dandolo family, after his appointment he put the interests of the church ahead of all other concerns. Dandolo supported reform of the clergy along the lines laid down by

Bernard of Clairvaux Bernard of Clairvaux, O. Cist. ( la, Bernardus Claraevallensis; 109020 August 1153), venerated as Saint Bernard, was an abbot, mystic, co-founder of the Knights Templars, and a major leader in the reformation of the Benedictine Order through t ...

. He was engaged in a long-running dispute over jurisdiction with Giovanni Polani, the

Bishop of Castello The Diocese of Castello, originally the Diocese of Olivolo, is a former Roman Catholic diocese that was based on the city of Venice in Italy. It was established in 774, covering the islands that are now occupied by Venice. Throughout its existen ...

. He also became involved in a dispute with the

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 ...

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

over lay involvement in church affairs. The dispute with the doge escalated when the doge supported the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

when it was invaded by the

Normans The Normans ( Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Franks and Gallo-Romans. ...

. Venice had critically important economic ties with the empire, but it was in schism with Rome. Dandolo was exiled until the war was over. Later he was restored to authority and gained most of his objectives including recognition of the separation of church from state and of the supremacy of the Patriarchate of Grado over Venice.

Early years

Enrico Dandolo was the uncle of the famous Doge of Venice, also called

Enrico Dandolo Enrico Dandolo (anglicised as Henry Dandolo and Latinized as Henricus Dandulus; c. 1107 – May/June 1205) was the Doge of Venice from 1192 until his death. He is remembered for his avowed piety, longevity, and shrewdness, and is known for his r ...

. He grew up in the small parish of San Luca, where his contemporary the future doge

Pietro Polani Pietro Polani (died 1148) was the 36th Doge of Venice. He reigned from 1130 to 1148. Polani was elected Doge over the protests of the Dandolo and Bado families because of his first marriage to Adelasa Michele, who was the daughter of his predeces ...

also lived. In 1122 the

Domenico Michiel launched a seaborne crusade to help

Baldwin II of Jerusalem Baldwin II, also known as Baldwin of Bourcq or Bourg (; – 21August 1131), was Count of Edessa from 1100 to 1118, and King of Jerusalem from 1118 until his death. He accompanied his cousins Godfrey of Bouillon and Baldwin of Boulogne to th ...

. Enrico Dandolo participated in the Venetian Crusade while in his early twenties. The Venetian fleet left on 8 August 1122, and invested

Corfu Corfu (, ) or Kerkyra ( el, Κέρκυρα, Kérkyra, , ; ; la, Corcyra.) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the margin of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The isl ...

, then a possession of the

, with which Venice had a dispute over privileges. They abandoned the siege when they heard news that King Baldwin II had been taken prisoner, and reached the Palestinian coast in May 1123. On 15 February 1124 the Venetians began the siege of Tyre, which fell on 7 July 1124. The fleet passed through the

Aegean Sea The Aegean Sea ; tr, Ege Denizi ( Greek: Αιγαίο Πέλαγος: "Egéo Pélagos", Turkish: "Ege Denizi" or "Adalar Denizi") is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. It is located between the Balkans ...

on the return voyage, pillaging Greek islands and forcing the Greeks to abandon the dispute and confirm their privileges. On his return Dandalo embarked on a career as a legal advocate.

Patriarch

Jurisdictional disputes

Dandalo was appointed Patriarch of Grado in 1134, nominated by his boyhood friend the doge Pietro Polani and accepted by the bishops of the lagoon. Dandolo succeeded Giovanni Gradenigo (1105-1131). Dandolo was immediately thrown into the centuries-old dispute over jurisdiction with the

Patriarchate of Aquileia The Patriarchate of Aquileia was an episcopal see in northeastern Italy, centred on the ancient city of Aquileia situated at the head of the Adriatic, on what is now the Italian seacoast. For many centuries it played an important part in histor ...

. In 1132

Pope Innocent II Pope Innocent II ( la, Innocentius II; died 24 September 1143), born Gregorio Papareschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 February 1130 to his death in 1143. His election as pope was controversial and the fi ...

had restored many of the traditional episcopates to Aquileia, including the Diocese of Istria, reducing Grado to the Venetian Lagoon. Dandalo went to the

Council of Pisa The Council of Pisa was a controversial ecumenical council of the Catholic Church held in 1409. It attempted to end the Western Schism by deposing Benedict XIII (Avignon) and Gregory XII (Rome) for schism and manifest heresy. The College o ...

in June 1135, as did the reformist

. The pope confirmed Grado's traditional rights and privileges, but would not restore the lost dioceses. Dandalo became a lifetime supporter of reform and a strong advocate for the freedom and rights of the church. On his return to Venice, Dandalo introduced a chapter of

Cistercians The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint ...

to the monastery of San Giorgio di Pineto, the first of their order in the lagoon. Dandalo became involved in a dispute with Giovanni Polani, the Bishop of Castello. One of the sources of tension was that by this time the patriarchs of Grado spent little time in

Grado Grado may refer to: People * Cristina Grado (1939–2016), Italian film actress * Jonathan Grado (born 1991), American entrepreneur and photographer * Francesco De Grado ( fl. 1694–1730), Italian engraver * Gaetano Grado, Italian mafioso * ...

itself, but made their base the church of San Silvestro in Venice, within the jurisdiction of the diocese of Castello. In 1139, encouraged by Dandolo, the clergy of the ancient church of San Salvatore in central Venice decided to become canons regular under the

rule of St. Augustine The Rule of Saint Augustine, written about the year 400, is a brief document divided into eight chapters and serves as an outline for religious life lived in community. It is the oldest monastic rule in the Western Church. The rule, developed ...

. The diocese had less control over such semi-monastic communities, some of which were directly linked to Rome. The clergy failed to confirm their subordination to the diocese. Polani was furious at what he saw as an attempt to take this important parish away from his control, and placed it under interdict. In response, Dandolo placed it under his metropolitan protection. On 13 May 1141

lifted the interdict, placed San Salvatore under his personal protection and sent two canons to instruct the congregation in the rule. In 1141 Dandolo placed and blessed the foundation stone of the complex holding a church and hostel for pilgrims on the

Isola di San Clemente Isola di San Clemente (San Clemente Island) is a small island in the Venetian Lagoon in Italy. For centuries it housed a monastic settlement, and more recently an asylum. It is now the site of a luxury hotel. Location San Clemente Island lies i ...

. The island was given to canons regular. Dandolo expected it would come under the patriarchate of Grado, and this became a long-running cause of dispute with Polani. In August 1143 the cardinal-priest Goizo of Santa Cecilia visited Venice, and following this visit Pope Lucius II (1144–45) published clear definitions of the jurisdictions of Castello and Grado. Sometime between 1141 and 1145 the doge nominated a new abbess for the convent of San Zaccaria to replace Nella Michiel, who had died. Dandolo condemned this lay interference in election of the abbess, and disputed the doge's right to invest her. A new abbess was only confirmed in 1151, and was not a member of a leading Venetian family. It is not clear whether this was a victory for Dandalo, but certainly he had alienated the doge as well as the bishop.

Norman war

In 1147 a Norman fleet captured the island of Corfu from the Byzantines, then began to attack and loot the coastal towns of Greece, facing little serious resistance. In October 1147 the Emperor

Manuel I Comnenus Manuel I Komnenos ( el, Μανουήλ Κομνηνός, translit=Manouíl Komnenos, translit-std=ISO; 28 November 1118 – 24 September 1180), Latinized Comnenus, also called Porphyrogennetos (; " born in the purple"), was a Byzantine empero ...

(1143–80) sent an urgent request for help to Venice. The Doge

called for all Venetians to help prepare a fleet to attack the Normans in the spring. The trade with Byzantium was crucial to the Venetian economy, and Corfu also commanded the trade route to the east, but Dandalo opposed coming to the aid of the Greeks on the grounds that they were schismatic. Dandalo went against his family interests in this, and also took a position that the Pope could not support. The papacy was in a state of war with the Normans, although temporarily at truce, and the Byzantine emperor was providing valuable support for the Second Crusade. This dispute culminated in the exile of the patriarch. In 1147 the doge had Dandolo expelled from Venice. All the houses of the Dandolo family were levelled. Dandolo fled to Rome, where

Pope Eugene III Pope Eugene III ( la, Eugenius III; c. 1080 – 8 July 1153), born Bernardo Pignatelli, or possibly Paganelli, called Bernardo da Pisa, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1145 to his death in 1153. He w ...

(1145-1153) excommunicated the doge and placed an interdict on the whole city of Venice. The doge went ahead with a successful expedition against the Normans, in which he died.

Later years

The new doge

Domenico Morosini Domenico Morosini (died February 1156) was the thirty-seventh doge of the Republic of Venice, reigning from 1148 until his death in 1156. Descendant of a noble family (he was a count), Morosini succeeded in reconciling the two factions that had d ...

(1148–55) rescinded the exile and ordered reconstruction of the Dandolo family compound at the expense of the state. In late 1149 Morosini agreed that the lay rulers of Venice would not interfere with church affairs. On the other hand, prelates would no longer be involved in secular affairs. Dandalo returned to Venice in 1150 or 1151. In January 1153 Dandolo held a provincial synod in Venice to discuss a dispute between two parishes in the diocese of Murano. This choice of location was an assertion of authority over Castillo. In 1155 Dandolo was consecrated by

Pope Hadrian IV Pope Adrian IV ( la, Adrianus IV; born Nicholas Breakspear (or Brekespear); 1 September 1159, also Hadrian IV), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 4 December 1154 to his death in 1159. He is the only Englishman t ...

(1154–59) as Primate of Dalmatia, with authority over the archdiocese of Zara. In October 1156 Bishop Polani was forced by the Pope to relinquish all claims against the church of San Clemente. In June 1157 Dandolo gained the authority to ordain Latin bishops in any Byzantine cities where Venice had churches, including Constantinople. The pope made it clear to the Venetians that Dandolo should be respected as their spiritual father. In 1162, while Venice was involved in a war with

Padua Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...

and

Ferrara Ferrara (, ; egl, Fràra ) is a city and ''comune'' in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital of the Province of Ferrara. it had 132,009 inhabitants. It is situated northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream ...

, the Patriarch Ulrich II of Aquileia attacked Grado. Dandolo was forced to flee to Venice. The doge

Vitale II Michiel 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, ...

responded forcibly. He captured Ulrich and destroyed several of his castles in

Friuli Friuli ( fur, Friûl, sl, Furlanija, german: Friaul) is an area of Northeast Italy with its own particular cultural and historical identity containing 1,000,000 Friulians. It comprises the major part of the autonomous region Friuli Venezia Giulia ...

. Eventually Pope Alexander III intervened to make a peace. The doge's captives were released in exchange for payment of an annual tribute of a bull, twelve pigs and 300 loaves of bread. The animals would be slaughtered in a public ceremony to commemorate the victory. Around 1170 Dandolo appointed Romano Mairano his agent for collecting revenues from the patriarchal properties in Constantinople in return for an annual payment of fifty pounds of Venetian pennies. This contract proved impossible to fulfil, since tensions and rivalries between the Greeks and Venetians in Constantinople led to the imperial government imprisoning the Venetians and seizing their assets in 1171. The patriarch had an ''aula'' in Venice in 1153, and in 1164 there are mentions of a ''palacium'' beside San Silvestro. Pope Alexander III lodged in the ''palacium'' when he visited Venice in 1177. The church of San Silvestro was given the title to the ground floor of the ''palacium'' in 1182. At this time it was a substantial building, at least two stories high. It included a large hall and had a private chapel on the first floor. Dandolo suggested merging the patriarchate of Grado and the episcopal see of Castello to Pope Alexander III, perhaps as early as 1177. In March 1179 Dandolo attended the

Third Council of the Lateran The Third Council of the Lateran met in Rome in March 1179. Pope Alexander III presided and 302 bishops attended. The Catholic Church regards it as the eleventh ecumenical council. By agreement reached at the Peace of Venice in 1177 the bitter ...

in Rome. On 24 July 1180 he agreed to a final and formal resolution of the ancient disputes with the patriarchate of Aquileia. In the presence of Alexander III and Ulrich II of Aquileia he renounced his claims to the disputed dioceses in Istria and to the relics and treasures that Poppo of Aquileia had taken from Grado at the start of the 11th century. Dandolo died in 1182 and was succeeded by Giovanni Segnale, who was confirmed by

Pope Clement III Pope Clement III ( la, Clemens III; 1130 – 20 March 1191), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 December 1187 to his death in 1191. He ended the conflict between the Papacy and the city of Rome, by all ...

References

Sources

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