Enrico Dandolo (1107 - 1205) was a Doge and politician of great influence in Venetian history. Known for his peculiar characteristic of being almost blind (perhaps due to torture suffered in his youth in Constantinople) he was a skilled politician on both the military and diplomatic fronts. He was elected Doge late in life in 1192 and led Venice to an era of strong expansionism by exploiting its strategic position in the Mediterranean. Dandolo's handling of the Fourth Crusade (1202 - 1204) is famous. During this period Venice established itself as a key player in supplying the ships needed to transport the crusaders to the holy land, demanding substantial payment in return.

However, the crusaders on their way to the Middle East were unable to repay the high cost of transport to Venetian ships and Dandolo immediately seized the opportunity to proceed with his plans. He diverted the direction of the crusade in such a way as to serve the interests of Venice while giving vent to the violence and thirst for profit of the crusader knights. Ironically, what began as a Christian crusade against Muslim infidels became a crusade directed against other Christians for the sole purpose of plundering wealth. First Zadar, a stronghold then controlled by the Kingdom of Hungary, was conquered and then it was the turn of the last stronghold of the ‘’Romans‘’ in the East, Constantinople, the city of empires.

Under the pretext of restoring Emperor Alexis IV to the throne, the fleet occupied the city. However, when the new emperor failed to fulfil the promises of new riches made to the crusaders, they decided, led by Dandolo, to turn against their ally. In 1204 Constantinople was brutally sacked by crusader and Venetian troops, the Byzantine Empire collapsed (although it would be restored 60 years later) and in its place a puppet state of Venice, the Latin Empire, was established, which would secure Venetian commercial dominance and total control of the Aegean and Crete for the Venetians. Dandolo remained in Constantinople to organise this new empire but died a year later in 1205.