ABSTRACT

This chapter examines the unique problems of the papacy with regard to Venice and the Veneto culminating in the pontificate which resolved many of those conflicts, that of Alexander III. It provides the historical background for Venice's relationship with Alexander, while the second will analyze the events of the pontificate as they related to Venice. Despite the importance of Venice for Alexander's victory, little attention has been paid to the relationship between the pope and the Republic of St Mark before or immediately after the Peace. The patriarch of Aquileia oversaw the church of the Lombard's while the patriarch of Grado exercised authority in Byzantine territories, including the infant Venice. A Venetian bishop or abbot received neither lands nor anything else from the doge for which he owed service. Instead, the clergy of Venice lived on tithes, gifts, and the occasional business deal. Venice provided support for Alexander and a location for his greatest triumph.