| Dolfin | |
|---|---|
| Venetian nobility | |
 Arms of the family | |
| Parent family | Gradenigo |
| Country |  Papal States  Republic of Venice  Habsburg monarchy  Kingdom of Italy |
| Current region |  Italy |
| Founded | V century |
| Founder | Giovanni Gradenigo |
| Titles |
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The Delfin family (Dolfin in venician, sometimes Italianized as Delfin, Delfino, Delfini, and Dolfini) is a thousand-year-old noble family originally from Venice, whose origins date back to the medieval period because they were present even before the Serrata del Maggior Consiglio of 1297. [1] [2] Already included in the patriciate as an old house and one of the twelve apostolic families, [3] the founders of the Venetian state, it is considered one of the richest, most powerful, and oldest in its history. [4]
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Members of the family distinguished themselves for their role in the political and military institutions of the Republic, where they acquired great prestige. One of these was, for example, Giovanni Dolfin, who served as the 56th Doge of the Republic of Venice, the only member of the family. Numerous other members of the family were men of the church in the service of the Pope as bishops, patriarchs, and cardinals. Over the centuries, the family's descendants held important political roles in the Republic, such as procurators of Saint Mark and governors of cities and lands under Venetian rule, numerous members of the Quarantia and the Senate, land and sea generals, and diplomatic roles such as bailiffs and ambassadors for most countries in continental Europe.
They were also influential and skilled traders, who knew how to excellently manipulate the economic dynamics of thalassocratic Venice, especially through marital alliances as strategic tools to consolidate economic and political power. In fact, the family also included the Dolfin branch, known as "dal Banco," which owned the bank of the same name. Furthermore, over the centuries, thanks to this wealth, they owned numerous residences both in Venice itself and in the areas controlled by the Serenissima.
Like the Gonzagas in Mantua, the fame of the Dolfins in Venice and in Italy is above all linked to their patronage of the culture of architecture, literature, sculpture and painting. In fact, they requested the services of the major exponents of what is today called the Venetian school, including Giambattista Tiepolo, Cavalier Bambini, Titian, Bernardo Strozzi, Giovanni Bellini, Francesco and Jacopo Sansovino and many others. The family also had a modest influence in the musical field: both as patrons, having requested the services of composers such as Antonio Vivaldi, Antonio Martinelli, and Francisco José de Castro, and as concert organizers, owning numerous theaters in the major cities of the Serenissima. Some literary works have been dedicated to some members of the family. Examples are La donna di garbo and La bella selvaggia by Carlo Goldoni and La metamorfosi della modestia by Giuseppe Beccarelli.
Despite the decline of the political power of the Republic of Venice, the artistic and cultural legacy of the family is still appreciated today.
