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Nicolò Donà or Nicolò Donato (28 January 1539 – 8 May 1618) was the 93rd Doge of Venice, reigning for little more than a month, from his election on 5 April 1618 until his death.

Biography

The son of Giovanni Donà and Isabetta Morosini, Donato was born in Venice and studied for a time in Padua before going into trade. He gained a huge fortune, but remained stingy his entire life. He never married, and ultimately left his fortune to his brother Francesco and nephew Pietro.

Donato proved unwilling to spend the vast sums of money required to gain high office in the Republic of Venice. However, in 1617–1618, the Spanish Ambassador to Venice, Alfonso de la Cueva, 1st Marquis of Bedmar launched a plot to destabilize the Venetian Republic in order to allow Spanish troops to take over Venice. In the midst of this crisis, the reigning Doge, Giovanni Bembo, died on 16 March 1618.

Donato was elected doge on 5 April 1618, probably by paying bribes. He tried to eliminate his reputation for stinginess by throwing the traditional lavish banquet to celebrate his election, but this proved unavailing when his parents turned a number of his relatives away from the feast in order to save money.

He died in Venice 35 days after his election, with the Bedmar Conspiracy still raging.

References

1. Brown, R.L.; Office, Great Britain. Public Record (1970). Calendar of State Papers and Manuscripts, Relating to English Affairs Existing in the Archives and Collection of Venice, and in Other Libraries of Northern Italy. Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts, and Green. p. 190. Retrieved 20 February 2018. The doge Giovanni Bembo died on 16th March, and was succeeded by Niccolo Donato, elected on April 5. Wotton wrote an account of this election, reprinted by Mr Pearsall Smith, Life and Letters of Sir Henry Wotton, ii. pages 132-133. Donato occupied the dogeship for little more than a month, dying on May 8th, 1618.
2. David Sanderson Chambers; Jennifer Fletcher; Brian S. Pullan (2001). Venice: A Documentary History, 1450–1630. University of Toronto Press. pp. 4–. ISBN 978-0-8020-8424-8.

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Byzantine period (697–737) Paolo Lucio Anafesto Marcello Tegalliano Orso Ipato
Regime of the magistri militum (738–742) Domenico Leoni Felice Cornicola Teodato Ipato Jovian Ceparius John Fabriacus
Ducal period (742–1148) 8th century Teodato Ipato* Galla Lupanio* Domenico Monegario* Maurizio Galbaio Giovanni Galbaio* 9th century Obelerio degli Antenori*† Agnello Participazio Giustiniano Participazio Giovanni I Participazio* Pietro Tradonico† Orso I Participazio Giovanni II Participazio♦ Pietro I Candiano‡ Pietro Tribuno 10th century Orso II Participazio Pietro II Candiano Pietro Participazio Pietro III Candiano Pietro IV Candiano† Pietro I Orseolo♦ Vitale Candiano♦ Tribuno Memmo Pietro II Orseolo 11th century Otto Orseolo* Pietro Centranico* Domenico Flabanico Domenico I Contarini Domenico Selvo* Vitale Faliero Vitale I Michiel 12th century Ordelafo Faliero Domenico Michiel Pietro Polani * deposed     † executed or assassinated     ‡ killed in battle     ♦ abdicated
Republican period (1148–1797) 12th century Domenico Morosini Vitale II Michiel Sebastiano Ziani Orio Mastropiero Enrico Dandolo 13th century Pietro Ziani Jacopo Tiepolo Marino Morosini Reniero Zeno Lorenzo Tiepolo Jacopo Contarini Giovanni Dandolo Pietro Gradenigo 14th century Marino Zorzi Giovanni Soranzo Francesco Dandolo Bartolomeo Gradenigo Andrea Dandolo Marino Faliero† Giovanni Gradenigo Giovanni Dolfin Lorenzo Celsi Marco Cornaro Andrea Contarini Michele Morosini Antonio Venier 15th century Michele Steno Tommaso Mocenigo Francesco Foscari* Pasquale Malipiero Cristoforo Moro Nicolò Tron Nicolò Marcello Pietro Mocenigo Andrea Vendramin Giovanni Mocenigo Marco Barbarigo Agostino Barbarigo 16th century Leonardo Loredan Antonio Grimani Andrea Gritti Pietro Lando Francesco Donato Marcantonio Trivisan Francesco Venier Lorenzo Priuli Girolamo Priuli Pietro Loredan Alvise I Mocenigo Sebastiano Venier Nicolò da Ponte Pasquale Cicogna Marino Grimani 17th century Leonardo Donato Marcantonio Memmo Giovanni Bembo Nicolò Donato Antonio Priuli Francesco Contarini Giovanni I Cornaro Nicolò Contarini Francesco Erizzo Francesco Molin Carlo Contarini Francesco Cornaro Bertuccio Valier Giovanni Pesaro Domenico II Contarini Nicolò Sagredo Alvise Contarini Marcantonio Giustinian Francesco Morosini Silvestro Valier Alvise II Mocenigo 18th century Giovanni II Cornaro Alvise III Mocenigo Carlo Ruzzini Alvise Pisani Pietro Grimani Francesco Loredan Marco Foscarini Alvise IV Mocenigo Paolo Renier Ludovico Manin* † Marino Faliero (1354–55) was convicted of treason, executed and condemned to damnatio memoriae * Francesco Foscari (1423–57) was forced to abdicate by the Council of Ten * Ludovico Manin (1789–97) was forced to abdicate by Napoleon leading to the Fall of the Republic of Venice

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