He served as Venice's ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Kingdom of France, Spain, the Dutch Republic, and to the Papal court.

During his time as savio, Contarini supported the party in the Great Council that called for a continuation of the war with the Ottoman Empire.

Most of Contarini's reign as Doge was occupied with festivities and fun, and he made little attempt to exercise strong dogal powers.

On 25 June 1678, Venetian mathematician Elena Cornaro Piscopia became the first woman in the world to receive a Doctor of Philosophy degree, from the University of Padua.

Venetians watched the progress of the Great Turkish War closely, as Venice's enemy, the Ottoman Empire, made territorial gains in the lands of the Habsburg monarchy (including all of the Balkans by 1682) before finally being halted by the forces of John III Sobieski at the Battle of Vienna on 12 September 1683.