Why was Marin Falier executed in Venice in 1355?

Marin Falier, who served as the doge of Venice from 1354 to 1355, was executed for leading a failed conspiracy against the ruling patricians.1

His actions were driven by a combination of political tension and personal conflict. Following a humiliating defeat of the Venetian fleet by the Genoese at Porto Longe in 1354, Falier faced significant hostility from the patrician class, with whom he was engaged in a power struggle. Whether motivated by a personal provocation from a patrician or by broader political ambitions, Falier organized a plot to kill the nobles. His goal was to strip the patricians of their authority and consolidate power for himself and the people.1

The conspiracy was discovered before it could be carried out, leading to the trial and execution of Falier and his accomplices in April 1355. This event was part of a broader historical pattern in Venice, where the Council of Ten was specifically tasked with policing the patrician order and preventing any individual from establishing sole personal rule.12