House of Contarini

Contarini is one of the founding families of Venice and of which in total eight Doges to the Republic of Venice emerged, as well as other notables. Among the ruling families of the republic, they were considered the most powerful, controlling the largest number of seats in the Great Council of Venice from the period before the Serrata del Maggior Consiglio to the end of the republic in 1797. The Contarini are of Roman origin through their patrilineal decendancy of the Aurelii Cottae, a branch of the Roman family Aurelia, and traditionally trace their lineage back to Gaius Aurelius Cotta, consul of the Roman Republic in 252 BC and 248 BC.

The House of Contarini is one of the twelve founding families of the Venetian Republic, the apostolic families, and were and remain through extended family consanguinity present in the Veneto's population, represented in over twenty auxiliary and cadet noble branches that include ranks currently among European sovereign, royal and aristocratic descendants. With the arrival of Alvise Contarini in Syracuse at the invitation of Martin I of Sicily a branch of the family was established in Sicily in 1394, the year in which Alvise married Cesarea Modica of Pietro Modica, Baron of San Giacomo Belmineo and Solarino. Alvise Contarini was given the fiefdoms of San Giacomo Belmineo and Solarino as part of the dowry. In 1406 he was elected mayor of Syracuse, followed by numerous other communal, ministerial and military official positions for his descendants in the Kingdom of Sicily and the Kingdom of Italy after the Risorgimento. The family remains in Sicily today, carrying the title Duke .

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