Galla — a most wicked man

Galla was the fifth doge of Venice, but according to tradition he only served one year and two months, before he was deposed, just as he had deposed the previous doge, Deusdedit Hypatos.

He ruled from 755 to 756, according to the chronology established in the 1340s by Andrea Dandolo.

Our sources for his life and reign are just as scarce as for the previous doges and the magistri militum.

The only original source for duke Galla is the Istoria Veneticorum by John the Deacon, written around the year 1000. The Chronicon Altinate, the Chronica per extensum descripta by Andrea Dandolo and other later chronicles mostly just repeat what John the Deacon wrote, without adding anything new.

There are no non-Venetian primary sources for duke Galla.

The narrative

All we know about Galla is that he usurped the title of duke of the Venetians by having his predecessor, Deusdedit, blinded, and, in turn, he was blinded and deposed the following year.

We do not know what tensions and conflicts within Venetian society led to these horrific events.

The judgement of Galla was uniformly negative, with terms such as ‘unfaithful’ and ‘wicked’ used to describe him.

We do not know when and how he died

Sources

Below are translations of the main primary sources we have for duke Galla.

John the Deacon

The oldest extant source is the Istoria Veneticorum by John the Deacon, written around the year 1000. He only mentioned Galla in the passing, in the paragraphs dedicated to his predecessor Deusdedit:

…, and there, by a certain unfaithful man named Galla, his eyes were put out and his duchy was taken, and he [Galla] was the possessor of the position for one year.

Over him then, the Venetians, attacking and conspiring together with one mind, likewise plucked out his eyes.

Istoria Veneticorum, II.17.

Chronicon Altinate

The anonymous Chronicon Altinate, of uncertain date, only has one line.

Duke Galla ruled for 1 year and 2 months.

Chronicon Altinate, Liber I, Cessi (1933), p. 29 and p. 116.

The Altinate — especially in the confused Liber III — contains many apocryphal stories about internal conflicts within factions of early Venetian society. Several of these include individuals from Equilo (modern-day Jesolo), with the surname Gauli, Gaulo or Gaulus, and their bloody conflicts with families from Heraclia. For example, at least one person named Gaulus appeared in the (unsubstantiated) narrative of the death of duke Paulicius.

Duke Galla has traditionally been associated with the Gaulo clan from Equilo — maybe just for the affinity of the names — and he is therefore often given the surname Gaulo by later writers.

Andrea Dandolo

Doge Andrea Dandolo, writing his Chronica per extensum descripta in the 1340s, has little more than John the Deacon, if not for literary flourishes.

These are the relevant chapters of book VII.

The deposition of Deudedit:

Here, duke Deusdedit, … , was, by Galla, a most wicked man, deprived of his rule and sight.

Chronica per extensum descripta, VII.9

And the reign of duke Galla:

Duke Galla seized the duchy, in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ 755. Here, having committed the crime, he came to Metamauco, and seized both the seat and title of the duke.

… omissis …

Against this Galla, while he had led for one year, two months, the Venetians, rising unanimously, deprived him of his eyes and dignity, and thus the punishment which he had unjustly inflicted on his predecessor, he now duly endured himself.

Chronica per extensum descripta, VII.10

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