Domenico Flabanico

Who was Domenico Flabanico?

Domenico Flabanico was the 29th Doge of Venice. His reign lasted from the abdication of Pietro Barbolano in 1032 until his death.

Before Domenico Flabanico took office, there was a significant chaos in Venice. His predecessor had abdicated the position of Doge following extensive public pressure to reinstate Otto Orseolo, but when it was found out that Otto Orseolo was dying, Domenico Orseolo, Otto's less popular relative, public outcry in Venice was great regarding the apparent onset of a nepotistic hereditary monarchy. Flabanico, a successful merchant and popular individual, but less than noble, was elected to spite the notion of royal blood.

Under Flabanico, new laws were instilled to limit the powers of the Doge against creating a hereditary monarchy and passing many new acts. In this time, Venice went through a period of infighting and decline. Flabanico was hardly capable of maintaining the diplomatic relationships that were necessary for adequate foreign policy and he let the economy of the Republic of Venice slip due to a general decline in confidence of the Republic. It was only thanks to his successor, Domenico Contarini, that the Republic was restored to a new era of prosperity. He died in 1043, marking the end of more than a decade of rule.