Tombs of the doges

The central fie statues on the tomb of doge Leonardo Loredan (doge 1501–1521)

The doges of the Republic of Venice usually received a public funeral as heads of state, but the actual burial usually happened in a place of their own choosing.

Many were laid to rest in churches or monasteries with which they had a personal or family bond.

The tombs of the doges are mostly in Venice, but there are quite a few outside the city too. Some died abroad, and were buried there, such as Enrico Dandolo, who died in Constantinople following the Fourth Crusade. He was buried in the Hagia Sofia, where an epigraph remains.

Many burials of doges are lost or simply unknown, due to a scarcity of documents. This is the case for all the earliest doges.

The best place to see some of the extant tombs of doges is undoubtedly the Basilica di SS Giovanni e Paolo, where about twenty-five doges lie, many within or under their original monuments.

List of burial places of the Doges of Venice

  1. Paoluccio Anafesto (697–717)Unknown.
  2. Marcello Tegalliano (717–726)Unknown.
  3. Orso Ipato (726–737)Unknown.
  4. Teodato Ipato (742–755)Unknown.
  5. Galla Gaulo (755–756)Unknown.
  6. Domenico Monegario (756–764)Unknown.
  7. Maurizio Galbaio (764–787)Unknown.
  8. Giovanni Galbaio (787–804)Unknown.
  9. Obelerio Antenorio (804–810)Unknown.
  10. Agnello Partecipazio (811–827) — Sant’Ilario (Malcontenta) — LOST.
  11. Giustiniano Partecipazio (827–829) — Sant’Ilario (Malcontenta) — LOST.
  12. Giovanni Partecipazio I (829–836)Unknown — LOST.
  13. Pietro Tradonico (836–864) — San Zaccaria — LOST — In the atrium of the monastery. He was the first doge to be buried in Venice.
  14. Orso Partecipazio I (864–881) — San Zaccaria — LOST — In the monastery.
  15. Giovanni Partecipazio II (881–887)Unknown.
  16. Pietro Candiano I (887–888) — Sant’Eufemia (Grado) — LOST.
  17. Pietro Tribuno (888–912) — San Zaccaria — LOST.
  18. Orso Partecipazio Il (912–932) — San Felice (Ammiana) — LOST.
  19. Pietro Candiano II (932–939) — San Zaccaria or Sant’Ilario (Venice or Malcontenta) — LOST — Uncertain location.
  20. Pietro Badoer (939–942) — San Felice (Ammiana) — LOST — Uncertain location.
  21. Pietro Candiano III (942–959) — San Zaccaria | Sant’Ilario (Venice | Malcontenta) — LOST.
  22. Pietro Candiano IV (959–976) — Sant’Ilario (Malcontenta) — LOST.
  23. Pietro Orseolo I (976–978) — Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa (France) — Moved repeatedly, but now in San Marco.
  24. Vitale Candiano (978–979) — Sant’Ilario (Malcontenta) — LOST.
  25. Tribuno Menio or Memmo (979–991) — San Zaccaria or Sant’Ilario (Venice or Malcontenta) — LOST — A commemorative epigraph at San Giorgio Maggiore.
  26. Pietro Orseolo ll (991–1008) — San Zaccaria — LOST.
  27. Ottone Orseolo (1008–1026) — Greece — LOST — Nothing more specific is known.
  28. Pietro Centranico (1026–1032) — Constantinople — LOST — Nothing more specific is known.
  29. Domenico Flabanico (1032–1043)Unknown — LOST.
  30. Domenico Contarini (1043–1071) — San Nicolò del Lido — LOST — Now only an epigraph.
  31. Domenico Selvo (1071–1085) — San Marco — LOST.
  32. Vitale Falier (1085–1096) — San Marco.
  33. Vitale Michiel I (1096–1102) — San Marco — LOST.
  34. Ordelat Falier (1102–1118) — San Marco — LOST.
  35. Domenico Michiel (1118–1129) — San Giorgio Maggiore — LOST — Replaced by an epigraph.
  36. Pietro Polani (1130–1148) — San Cipriano (Murano) — LOST.
  37. Domenico Morosini (1148–1156) — Santa Croce — LOST.
  38. Vitale Michiel II (1156–1172) — San Zaccaria — LOST.
  39. Sebastiano Ziani (1172–1178) — San Giorgio Maggiore — LOST — Replaced by an epigraph.
  40. Orio Mastropiero (1178–1192) — Santa Croce — LOST.
  41. Enrico Dandolo (1192–1205) — Hagia Sofia (Constantinople) — LOST — An epigraph in the floor might or might not correspond to the actual burial.
  42. Pietro Ziani (1205–1229) — San Giorgio Maggiore — LOST.
  43. Jacopo Tiepolo (1229–1249) — SS Giovanni e Paolo.
  44. Marino Morosini (1249–1253) — San Marco.
  45. Reniero Zen (1253–1268) — SS Giovanni e Paolo.
  46. Lorenzo Tiepolo (1268–1275) — SS Giovanni e Paolo.
  47. Jacopo Contarini (1275–1280) — Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari — LOST — In the cloister of the monastery.
  48. Giovanni Dandolo (1280–1289) — SS Giovanni e Paolo — LOST — Epigraph.
  49. Pietro Gradenigo (1289–1311) — San Cipriano (Murano) — LOST.
  50. Marino Zorzi (1311–1312) — SS Giovanni e Paolo — LOST — Epigraph.
  51. Giovanni Soranzo (1312–1328) — San Marco.
  52. Francesco Dandolo (1329–1339) — Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari.
  53. Bartolomeo Gradenigo (1339–1342) — San Marco.
  54. Andrea Dandolo (1343–1354) — San Marco.
  55. Marin Falier (1354–1355) — SS Giovanni e Paolo — LOST.
  56. Giovanni Gradenigo (1355–1356) — Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari — LOST.
  57. Giovanni Dolfin (1356–1361) — SS Giovanni e Paolo.
  58. Lorenzo Celsi (1361–1365) — Celestia — LOST.
  59. Marco Corner (1365–1368) — SS Giovanni e Paolo.
  60. Andrea Contarini (1368–1382) — Santo Stefano.
  61. Michele Morosini (1382) — SS Giovanni e Paolo.
  62. Antonio Venier (1382–1400) — SS Giovanni e Paolo.
  1. Michele Steno (1400–1413) — Santa Marina — Now in Giovanni e Paolo.
  2. Tommaso Mocenigo (1414–1423) — SS Giovanni e Paolo.
  3. Francesco Foscari (1423–1457) — Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari.
  4. Pasquale Malipiero (1457–1462) — SS Giovanni e Paolo.
  5. Cristoforo Moro (1462–1471) — San Giobbe.
  6. Nicolò Tron (1471–1473) — Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari.
  7. Nicolò Marcello (1473–1474) — Santa Marina — Now in Giovanni e Paolo.
  8. Pietro Mocenigo (1474–1476) — SS Giovanni e Paolo.
  9. Andrea Vendramin (1476–1478) — SS Giovanni e Paolo.
  10. Giovanni Mocenigo (1478–1485) — SS Giovanni e Paolo.
  11. Marco Barbarigo (1485–1486) — Santa Maria della Carità — LOST.
  12. Agostino Barbarigo (1486–1501) — Santa Maria della Carità — LOST.
  13. Leonardo Loredan (1501–1521) — SS Giovanni e Paolo.
  14. Antonio Grimani (1521–1523) — Sant’Antonio di Castello — LOST.
  15. Andrea Gritti (1523–1538) — San Francesco della Vigna.
  16. Pietro Lando (1539–1545) — Sant’Antonio di Castello — LOST.
  17. Francesco Donà | (1545–1553) — Maren di Piave (Near Treviso) — In the chapel of the family villa there.
  18. Marcantonio Trevisan (1553–1554) — San Francesco della Vigna.
  19. Francesco Valier (1554–1556) — San Salvador.
  20. Lorenzo Priuli (1556–1559) — San Domenico di Castello — Monument moved to San Salvador.
  21. Girolamo Priuli (1559–1567) — San Domenico di Castello — Monument moved to San Salvador.
  22. Pietro Loredan (1567–1570) — San Giobbe — LOST.
  23. Alvise Mocenigo (1570–1577) — SS Giovanni e Paolo.
  24. Sebastiano Venier (1577–1578) — Santa Maria degli Angeli (Murano) — Now in Giovanni e Paolo.
  25. Nicolò Da Ponte (1578–1585) — Santa Maria della Carità — LOST.
  26. Pasquale Cicogna (1585–1595) — Gesuiti.
  27. Marino Grimani (1595–1605) — San Giuseppe di Castello.
  28. Leonardo Donà delle Rose (1606–1612) — San Giorgio Maggiore.
  29. Marcantonio Memmo (1612–1615) — San Giorgio Maggiore.
  30. Giovanni Bembo (1615–1618) — Sant’Andrea della Zirada — Family tomb.
  31. Nicolò Donà (1618) — Santa Chiara (Murano) — LOST.
  32. Antonio Priuli (1618–1623) — San Lorenzo — Family tomb.
  33. Francesco Contarini (1623–1624) — San Francesco della Vigna — LOST — Plaque.
  34. Giovanni Corner I (1625–1629) — SS Giovanni e Paolo.
  35. Nicolò Contarini (1630–1631) — Santa Maria Nova.
  36. Francesco Erizzo (1631–1646) — San Martino.
  37. Francesco Molin (1646–1655) — Santo Stefano — In the cloister of the monastery.
  38. Carlo Contarini (1655–1656) — San Bonaventura — Monument moved to San Vidal.
  39. Francesco Corner (1656) — San Nicolò dei Tolentini — Plaque.
  40. Bertuccio Valier (1656–1658) — San Giobbe — Now in Giovanni e Paolo.
  41. Giovanni Pesaro (1658–1659) — Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari.
  42. Domenico Contarini (1659–1675) — San Beneto — Family tomb.
  43. Nicolò Sagredo (1675–1676) — San Francesco della Vigna — LOST — Plaque.
  44. Alvise Contarini (1676–1684) — San Francesco della Vigna.
  45. Marcantonio Giustinian (1684–1688) — San Francesco della Vigna — LOST — Plaque.
  46. Francesco Morosini (1688–1694) — Santo Stefano.
  47. Silvestro Valier (1694–1700) — SS Giovanni e Paolo.
  48. Alvise Mocenigo II (1700–1709) — San Stae.
  49. Giovanni Corner II (1709–1722) — San Nicolò dei Tolentini — LOST — Plaque.
  50. Alvise Mocenigo III (1722–1732) — SS Giovanni e Paolo.
  51. Carlo Ruzzini (1732–1735) — Santa Maria di Nazareth degli Scalzi — Family tomb.
  52. Alvise Pisani (1735–1741) — Sant’Andrea del Lido (Certosa) — LOST.
  53. Pietro Grimani (1741–1752) — Madonna dell’Orto — Family tomb.
  54. Francesco Loredan (1752–1762) — SS Giovanni e Paolo — Family tomb.
  55. Marco Foscarini (1762–1763) — San Stae — Family tomb.
  56. Alvise Mocenigo IV (1763–1778) — SS Giovanni e Paolo — Family tomb.
  57. Paolo Renier (1779–1789) — San Nicolò dei Tolentini — Family tomb.
  58. Ludovico Manin (1789–1797) — Santa Maria di Nazareth degli Scalzi — Family tomb.

Notes about some churches

The monastery of Sant’Ilario e Benedetto on the mainland near Malcontenta, was founded in the early 800s. Several early doges were buried there, but the place was abandoned and lost in the Middle Ages. It was located in a field in the late 1800s, and has since been excavated.

The nunnery of San Zaccaria had a special position in Venice, as particularly associated with the aristocracy, the state and the doge. Often the abbess of the monastery was a relative of the doge. The nuns of San Zaccaria originally owned the land on which the Basilica di San Marco and much of the Piazza di San Marco is located.

Several churches and monasteries were suppressed during the second French domination in the years 1805–1815. This was the case of Santa Marina, Santa Croce, San Domenico di Castello, Sant’Antonio Abate or di Castello, and Sant’Andrea del Lido on the Certosa island. Others have been deconsecrated and put to other uses, like Santa Maria della Carità, Celestia and San Lorenzo.

Several tombs of doges were destroyed during the rebuilding of San Giorgio Maggiore, and in some places replaced by commemorative epigraphs.

Related articles

Localities

Bibliography

Da Mosto, Andrea. I dogi di Venezia con particolare riguardo alle loro tombe. Editore Ferd. Ongania, Venezia, 1939.

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