Pietro Polani

Pietro Polani, born in 1098, served as the thirty-sixth Doge of Venice from 1130 until his death in 1148. His ascent to power was marked by controversy, as he was elected amidst opposition from the influential Dandolo and Bado families. This dissent stemmed from his marriage to Adelasa Michele, the daughter of his predecessor, which many viewed as a breach of a decree aimed at preventing the inheritance of public office.

During Polani's reign, the Republic of Venice faced significant external threats. Between the years of 1133 and 1135, Hungarian forces captured key Venetian territories along the Dalmatian coast, including Sebenica, Trogir, and Split. Additionally, Padua sought to undermine Venice's dominance in the salt trade, while Ancona encroached upon Venetian borders in the south. In response to these challenges, a council of wise men, or sapientes, was established to advise the Doge, marking a shift towards a new oligarchic governance structure.

One of the council's first major decisions was to abstain from participating in the Second Crusade, a choice that reflected the complex political landscape of the time. Despite internal dissent, Venice gained considerable influence in the eastern Mediterranean by supporting the Byzantine Empire against the Italo-Normans led by Roger II of Sicily. Polani, despite facing excommunication from the pope, commanded the Venetian fleet in this endeavor until illness forced him to return to Venice prematurely.

Polani's leadership culminated in a decisive victory for the Venetian fleet at Cape Matapan in 1148, where they defeated the Norman forces of George of Antioch. Following his death, he was laid to rest in the San Cipriano monastery in Murano, leaving behind a legacy intertwined with the turbulent history of Venice during a time of both conflict and opportunity.