**PIETRO ORSEOLO, Saint.** — Born around 928 into a noble Venetian family. He took part in the expedition of 978 against the Narantani who were harassing the shores of the Adriatic. After the assassination of Doge Pietro Candiano IV, at the assembly held in the church of S. Pietro di Castello on 12 August 976, he was elected doge.
His brief reign was inspired by principles of tolerance and piety, but he was unable to prevent the emergence of new conspiracies against the security of the homeland. When the ducal palace burned down, destroying the agreements made with the Istrians, particularly with Capodistria, he renewed them and, without shedding blood, brought those peoples who were disrupting Venetian trade with piracy to heel. In this way, he averted the threat of war, restored to Gualdrada, the wife of his predecessor, the dowry that had been confiscated from her, restored the public treasury, reestablished internal peace, founded hospitals for the poor, began the reconstruction of the basilica of S. Marco, and established the procurators of S. Marco for the preservation of the temple.
Weary of the world and desirous of devoting himself with greater freedom to the spiritual life, on the night of 5 September 978, accompanied by a few companions, including Romuald, the founder of the Camaldolese hermits, he secretly fled from Venice, retired to Gascony, became a monk, dedicating himself to a life of prayer and penance, until he died in 987 in great repute for holiness. Clement XII approved his cult in 1731. Feast day: 10 January.