House Orseolo was the oldest recorded of the five patrician families of the Republic of Venice to have ruled it, founded by Doge Orso of Venice in 726.
History[]
The House of Orsoleo originated with Doge Orso of Venice (690-637), the first recorded doge of the Republic of Venice (r. 726-737). Orso's reign was one of prosperity, but his son Doge Teodato of Venice was overthrown in 755 and blinded. The Orsoleo family remained an important family, with the blind Teodato being a candidate for the succession as the head of the powerful Orsoleo clan. In 770, Teodato may have played a role in planning the assassination of Doge Maurizio of Venice.
The House became one of the most prosperous of the five family in the history of Venice, surviving until 1060. It had 16 heads of house and 19 recorded members. Despite (or perhaps because of) its longevivity, it only had five mandates in actually ruling Venice: Doge Orso of Venice (726-737), Doge Teodato of Venice (737-755), Doge Pietro VIII of Venice (976-979), Doge Pietro IX of Venice (991-1009) and Doge Oddone of Venice (1009-1026). Still it is only one of three families to have ruled Venice 5 or more times alongside House Participazio and House Candiano.