See also: Dandolo

Andrea Dandolo (born in 1306 - died the September 7th 1354), 54e Doge de Venise, at the 14th century, elected in 1343, to succeed Bartolomeo Gradenigo, died the preceding November 29th.

Descendant of an old family of the Venetian nobility (Dandolo), which provides to Venice four doges, of many admirals and some other citizens eminent, and which played a big role in the Venetian policy of the XIIe at the 15th century, Andrea Dandolo was a man of legal and historiographic culture. He studied the right to the university of Padoue, where he was then professor of jurisprudence before his election.

Friend of Pétrarque, which wrote of him that he was “a man right, incorruptible, full with heat and love for his country, scholar, eloquent, wise, gracious and human”, he was a large guard of arts. He reformed the legislation of Venice, promulgating in 1346 a code compiling the applicable laws in the Republic.

Its course in the Venetian public life was very early. In 1331, at only 25 years, it was named Procurateur of the Basilique Saint-Marc. He became doge at 37 years, in 1343.

Under its principat, Venice had to support a disastrous war against the Hungarian, following the seventh revolt of Zara against Sérénissime République. Allied of the Hungarians, Genoa sent in the Adriatique a powerful fleet under the command of Paganino Doria, which devastated the Venetian possessions, and threatened Venice itself, which was saved by the great naval victory of Lojera in 1353

The January 25th 1348, Venice undergoes a violent one earthquake who made hundreds of victims, destroyed many buildings and caused a terrible epidemic of plague which ended only in 1350, decimating during these two years one the third of the population.

Andrea Dandolo wrote two Latin chronicles on the history of Venice which one can find with volume XII of the collection of Muratori, Rerum Italicarum Scriptores .

Andrea Dandolo is the last doge to be buried in the St-Marc Basilica.

The branch of Dandolo currently living in France goes down directly from him. Established in Picardy, this family belongs to the Italian aristocracy and carries the title of count.