22 Facts About Domenico Selvo

Domenico Selvo was the 31st Doge of Venice, serving from 1071 to 1084.

Domenico Selvo avoided confrontations with the Byzantine Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Roman Catholic Church at a time in European history when conflict threatened to upset the balance of power.

Doge Domenico Selvo Contarini had a relatively uneventful reign, healing the rift between the Doge and his subjects and regaining territory that had been lost in the east to the Kingdom of Croatia in the years following the deposition of Otto Orseolo.

Domenico Selvo supposedly belonged to a family in the patrician class from the sestiere of Dorsoduro who were allegedly of ancient Roman origin, possibly from one of the tribunes.

Domenico Selvo had apparently been an ambassador to Holy Roman Emperor Henry III and he was certainly ducal counselor to Domenico Contarini prior to his election as Doge.

The events of Selvo's election occurred in the spring of 1071, when the nearly thirty-year reign of Doge Domenico Contarini came to an end upon his death.

Domenico Selvo Tino says "an innumerable multitude of people, virtually all Venice" was there to voice their opinion on the selection of a new Doge.

Barefoot, in accordance with tradition, Domenico Selvo was led into St Mark's Basilica where, amidst the construction materials and scaffolding, he prayed to God, received his staff of office, heard the oaths of fidelity from his subjects, and was legally sworn in as the 31st Doge of Venice.

The relations with the Holy Roman Empire were gradually strengthened to a level unknown since the reign of the last Orseolo through relatively free trade and the good relationship that Domenico Selvo maintained with Emperor Henry IV.

Domenico Selvo had to walk an extremely tight line of competing priorities.

At the height of the controversy, Pope Gregory VII privately threatened to excommunicate Domenico Selvo and put an interdict on the Venetian Republic, but Domenico Selvo was able to narrowly escape this by diplomatically asserting Venice's religious power as the reputed holders of the remains of St Mark.

In 1075, Domenico Selvo married Theodora Doukas, daughter of Constantine X and sister of the reigning emperor, Michael VII.

Alexios I Komnenos, the newly crowned Byzantine Emperor, dispatched an urgent message to Domenico Selvo asking for the mobilization of the Venetian fleet in defense of Durazzo in return for great rewards.

Domenico Selvo was motivated not only by his familial ties and the promise of reward, but the realization that Norman control over the Strait of Otranto would be just as great of a threat to Venetian power in the region as it would be to their ally in the east.

When Domenico Selvo approached the city, Guiscard's ships had already anchored in the harbor at Durazzo.

Victorious at sea, Domenico Selvo left the fleet under the command of his son and returned to Venice a hero.

In 1084, Guiscard returned to the Balkans and planned a new offensive against Corfu, where a combined Greek-Venetian fleet, commanded by Domenico Selvo, awaited his arrival.

Domenico Selvo was completely convinced of his fleet's victory and sent all damaged ships north to Venice for repairs, to free them for other uses, and to report of their victory.

Domenico Selvo barely managed to retreat with the remainder of his fleet, but not before 3,000 Venetians died and another 2,500 were taken prisoner.

Domenico Selvo apparently did not make a great effort to defend himself and was sent off to a monastery.

Domenico Selvo died three years later in 1087, and was buried in the loggiato of St Mark's Basilica.

Domenico Selvo's apparent squandering of nearly the entire fleet coupled with a decade-long distrust for his royal wife caused Selvo to become unpopular in Venice.