PIETRO ORSEOLO, saint. — Born around 928 into a noble Venetian family. He took part in the expedition of 978 against the Narentani, who infested the shores of the Adriatic. After Doge Pietro Candiano IV was killed, at the Assembly held in the church of S. Pietro di Castello on 12 August 976, he was elected doge.
His brief rule was inspired by principles of tolerance and religious devotion, but he was unable to prevent new conspiracies from arising against the security of the homeland. After the agreements made with the Istrians, especially with Capodistria, had been burned in the fire of the Doge’s Palace, he renewed them and, without shedding blood, brought those peoples who were disturbing Venetian commerce through piracy back to obedience. He thus dispelled the dangers of war, returned to Gualdrada, the wife of his predecessor, the dowry that had been confiscated from her, restored the public treasury, re-established internal peace, founded hospitals for the poor sick, began the rebuilding of the basilica of S. Marco, and established the procurators of S. Marco for the preservation of the church.
Weary of the world and desirous of devoting himself more freely to the spiritual life, on the night of 3 September 978, he secretly fled Venice with a few companions, among them Romualdo, the founder of the Camaldolese Hermits; he withdrew to Gascony, became a monk, and devoted himself to a life of prayer and penance until, in 987, he died in great repute for holiness. Clement XII approved his cult in 1731. Feast day: 10 January.