Doge of Venice
| Doge of Venice | |
|---|---|
Coat of arms | |
The last doge Lodovico Manin | |
| Style | His Serenity |
| Residence | Palazzo Ducale |
| Appointer | Serenissima Signoria |
| Formation |
|
| First holder |
|
| Final holder | Ludovico Manin |
| Abolished | 12 May 1797 |
| Salary | 4,800 ducats p.a. (1582)[1] |
The doge of Venice (/doʊdʒ/ DOHJ)[2][a] – in Italian, doge di Venezia [ˈdɔːd͡ʒe di veˈnett͡sja] – was the doge or highest role of authority within the Republic of Venice (697–1797).[3] The word doge derives from the Latin dux, meaning 'leader', and Venetian for 'duke', highest official of the republic of Venice for over 1,000 years.[4] In Italian, the cognate is duce (/duːtʃeɪ/ DOO-chay, Italian: [ˈduːt͡ʃe]), one of National Fascist Party leader Benito Mussolini's titles. The title is also cognate to the English "duke", with a different meaning.
Originally referring to any military leader, it became in the Late Roman Empire the title for a leader of an expeditionary force formed by detachments (vexillationes) from the frontier army (limitanei), separate from, but subject to, the governor of a province, authorized to conduct operations beyond provincial boundaries.
The doge of Venice acted as both the head of state and head of the Venetian oligarchy. Doges were elected for life through a complex voting process.[5]
- ^ Frederic C. Lane, Venice, A Maritime Republic (JHU Press, 1973), p. 324.
- ^ "doge". Dictionary.com Unabridged (Online). n.d. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
- ^ Republic of Venice | Map and Timeline (Map).
- ^ "Doge". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
- ^ "The Doge".
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