 Domenico Selvo ( died 1087 ) was the 31st Doge of Venice , serving from 1071 to 1084 . During his reign as Doge , his domestic policies , the alliances that he forged , and the battles that the Venetian military won and lost laid the foundations for much of the subsequent foreign and domestic policy of the Republic of Venice . He avoided confrontations with the Byzantine Empire , the Holy Roman Empire , and the Roman Catholic Church at a time in European history when conflict threatened to upset the balance of power . At the same time , he forged new agreements with the major nations that would set up a long period of prosperity for the Republic of Venice . Through his military alliance with the Byzantine Empire , Emperor Alexios I Komnenos awarded Venice economic favors with the declaration of a Golden Bull that would allow for the development of the republic 's international trade over the next few centuries . 
