Vincenzo, Count Dandolo

Who was Vincenzo, Count Dandolo?

Vincenzo, Count Dandolo, Italian chemist and agriculturist, was born at Venice of good family, though not of the same house as the famous doges, and began his career as a physician.

He was a prominent opponent of the oligarchical party in the revolution which took place on the approach of Napoleon; and he was one of the envoys sent to seek the protection of the French. When the request was refused, and Venice was placed under Austria, he removed to Milan, where he was made member of the great council. In 1799, on the invasion of the Russians and the overthrow of the Cisalpine republic, Dandolo retired to Paris, where, in the same year, he published his treatise Les Hommes nouveaux, d'operer une regeneration nouvelle. But he soon after returned to the neighborhood of Milan to devote himself to scientific agriculture.

In 1805 Napoleon made him governor of Dalmatia, with the title of provediteur general, in which position Dandolo distinguished himself by his efforts to remove the wretchedness and idleness of the people, and to improve the country by draining the pestilential marshes and introducing better methods of agriculture.