ZIANI, z&-lifne. A noble Venetian family, now extinct, which furnished many men of emi nence to the Republic. Of these the most im portant were two doges: SEBASTIANO ( e.1100-78). He attained distinction as ambassador to Con stantinople. 'After adjusting the difficulties which had at that time risen between Manuel Comnenus and the Republic of Saint Mark, Ziani returned to Venice as successor of the murdered Vitale .Michieli II. (1172). He was the first doge whose election was taken from the people and confided to the newly formed Great Council. It was in his time that the magnificent piazza and piazzetta of Saint Mark began to assume their present appearance. The most important political event of Zia/Ws brief reign was the final making of peace between the Emperor Fred erick Barbarossa and Pope Alexander III. (q.v.). The latter having secretly taken refuge in Venice, the Republic espoused his cause, destroyed the fleet of Barbarossa off the Tstrian coast, and so paved the way for the celebrated reconciliation which took place in the Church of Saint Mark (July 25, 1177). Upon the return of the victo rious fleet from Istria, the Pope went out to the mouth of the lagoon to meet the Doge. and there, in gratitude for the victory, gave him a ring and instituted the ceremony of wedding the Adriatic, which should be "subject to the rule of the Vene tian Republic, as wife to husband." Thereafter the symbolie ceremony of dropping a ring into the sea was observed annually with much splendor. Ziani abdicated in 1178 and re
tired to the Monastery of San Giorgio giore, where he soon died, PIETRO, son of the preceding, assumed the ducal cap in 1205. in succession to Enrico Dandolo. He occupied him self with the government and colonization of the troublesome island of Cyprus. Venice and Genoa first came to blows on that account, and the Genoese suffered defeat at sea. Ziani proposed the removal of the seat. of the Republic to Con stantinople, which had been captured by his predecessor. In 1229 the Doge abdicated. like his father, and likewise retired to San Giorgio Slag gion% Consult the authorities referred to under VENICE.
ZICHY, 7:F/e114t, EURENE, Count (1837—). An 11nng:u i in explorer, born at Mihrtlyi. Aft er studying in Germany and traveling there and in England, he gave his attention particularly to the eanalization of the Hungarian lowlands and, as president of the Home Industry Assoeia lion. was very active in promoting the develop ment of trade. In 189.5-96, aeoompanied by sev eral scholars. he visited the Caneasus and Cen tral Asia, and in 1897-98 Siberia, China, Tibet, and Mongolia. He published Voyages au Carcase ct en Asic centrale (1897), and the participants in his third expedition issued Dritte asiatische Forseltungsreise des Graf en Eager!, Zichy (1900 et seq.).