Middle-Lower Adriatic. The Doge of Venice, Pietro II Orseolo, supported by Basil, embarked on his most important expedition, celebrated in the centuries that followed with the famous Feast of the Ascension. He set sail at the head of a large fleet against the Narentine pirates who had long been hindering Venetian trade in the Adriatic. The event had primarily political repercussions: during the voyage, the fleet visited all the major towns on the Istrian and Dalmatian coasts, and the local populations, tormented by the clashes between the Croatian king Svetislav and his brother Cresimir, welcomed the Doge with full honors, swearing loyalty to him. Only Lagosta offered resistance and had to be occupied by force. The following July, the Doge, awarded the title of Dux Dalmatiae, returned victorious to the lagoon. The expedition did not result in the conquest of the region, which remained undisputedly under Byzantine control, but it certainly laid the foundation for Venetian influence on the eastern shore of the Adriatic.
