Orso I Participazio, 14th doge of Venice

- http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/orso-i-particiaco_(Dizionario-B...

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orso_I_Participazio

Orso I Participazio (died 881) was the 14th (traditional) and 12th (historical) Doge of Venice from 864 to his death.

He was elected, probably by acclamation, immediately after the assassination of his predecessor, Pietro Tradonico. By the end of the year, the assassins were captured, convicted, and executed, probably beheaded. Orso continued like Tradonico to fight the pirates, Slavic or Saracen, which inhabited the Adriatic. He was aided by newly constructed larger ships.

Orso presented to the Byzantine emperor Basil I a bell for the basilica Hagia Sophia. He died a natural death and was succeeded by his son, Giovanni II.