Jacopo Dondulo

He played a distinguished role in the naval conflicts of the War of Saint Sabas against the Republic of Venice, leading the Venetian navy to a crushing victory at the Battle of Trapani in 1266.

He served also several tenures as a member of the Great Council of Venice, as Bailo of Negroponte in 1277–1279, and as Duke of Candia in 1281–1283, where he faced the start of the Revolt of Alexios Kallergis.

After leading his fifteen ships on a raid on Tunis, he vainly awaited the arrival of the Genoese fleet in the waters around the Strait of Messina, and turned back towards Venice.

[1] Dondulo was acclaimed a hero on his return to Venice in July, towing the captured ships, and was duly elected as Captain-General of the Sea.

[1] Marco Zeno's cautious leadership left the seas open to the Genoese raiders, who preyed on unescorted Venetian shipping, so that in spring 1267, Dondulo was recalled to command.

[1] In 1271, he was sent as one of the commanders of the war against Bologna, distinguishing himself during the siege operations at the head of a contingent of conscripted Venetian citizens from the sestiere of San Marco.

Venice had just concluded a treaty with the Byzantine Empire, which established peace between the two powers in other areas, but explicitly left both free to engage in hostilities over the fate of the island of Negroponte (Euboea).

[2][3][4] During Dondulo's two-year term, the Byzantines did not attack the Venetians, but did so within a few weeks after his departure,[1] in a battle in which Licario defeated the Latins and captured John I de la Roche, the Duke of Athens.