Doge of Genoa should not be confused with Duke of Genoa.
Post: | Doge |
Body: | Genoa |
Insignia: | Coat of arms of Republic of Genoa.svg |
Insigniasize: | 120px |
Insigniacaption: | Coat of arms |
Residence: | Palazzo Ducale |
Appointer Qualified: | Great Council and Minor Council |
Formation: | 23 December 1339 |
First: | Simone Boccanegra |
Last: | Giacomo Maria Brignole |
Abolished: | 17 June 1797 |
Style: | Altezza Serenissima |
The Doge of Genoa was the head of state of the Republic of Genoa, a city-state and soon afterwards a maritime republic, from 1339 until the state's extinction in 1797. Originally elected for life, after 1528 the Doges were elected for terms of two years. The Republic (or Dogate) was ruled by a small group of merchant families, from whom the doges were selected.
The Genoese doge's form of address initially was "eccelso" (exalted), then "illustrissimo" (most illustrious), "eccellentissimo" (most excellent), and finally, "serenissimo principe" (most serene prince), "signore" (lord), or "altezza serenissima" (most serene highness).[1]
The first Doge of Genoa, Simone Boccanegra (Ligurian: Scimón Boccanéigra), whose name is kept alive by Verdi's opera, was appointed by public acclaim in 1339. Initially the Doge of Genoa was elected without restriction and by popular suffrage, holding office for life in the so-called "perpetual dogate"; but after the reform effected by Andrea Doria in 1528 the term of his office was reduced to two years. At the same time plebeians were declared ineligible, and the appointment of the doge was entrusted to the members of the great council, the Gran Consiglio, who employed for this purpose a complex political system.
The Palazzo Pubblico, where the Doges had formerly presided, was expanded in 1388 to accommodate the new ruler and style of government, the first of a series of radical reconstructions. It was renamed Palazzo Ducale and magnificently rebuilt in the 16th century. Until recently the palazzo housed courts, but it now functions as Genoa's cultural centre.
Of all the "perpetual" doges of Genoa who ruled for their lifetime, only one ruled for more than eight years. Many resigned or were driven out before taking office. Some failed to complete a single day in power. Between 1339 and 1528, only four Doges were legally elected. Genoa did not trust its Doges; the ruling caste of Genoa tied them to executive committees, kept them on a small budget, and kept them apart from the communal revenues held at the "Casa di San Giorgio".
Still, the position of Doge stood at the head of state patronage, and the city's inner group of leading merchant families vied with each other to place their man in the position. Rival elections were known to take place within the building. In 1389, a frustrated candidate made a surprise return from enforced exile accompanied by 7,000 supporters, and after dining amicably with the incumbent, politely but firmly ejected him, thanking him for serving so ably as his deputy during his own "unavoidable absence" from Genoa.
For generations two powerful families in Genoa all but monopolized the dogate: the Adorno and the Fregoso or di Campofregoso. Tomaso di Campofregoso became Doge three times: in 1415, 1421 and 1437. In 1461, Paolo Fregoso, archbishop of Genoa, enticed the current doge to his own palace, held him hostage and offered him the choice of retiring from the post or being hanged. When Fregoso was in due course himself toppled, he fled to the harbour, commandeered four galleys and launched himself on a whole new career as a pirate. Among other influential families in the republic were the Spinola, the Grimaldi, the Doria and the Durazzo, all these dynasties gave numerous doges to Genoa. While the doge's palace in Venice accumulated great furnishings and works of art over the years, in Genoa, each Doge was expected to arrive with his own furnishings and, when he left, to strip the palace to its bare walls.
In the 16th century, the republic enjoyed a dramatic revival under the leadership of the admiral, statesman and patron of the arts Andrea Doria who ruled the state as a virtual dictator but never actually became doge. It was through the Spanish empire in the New World that Genoa became rich again. And the bankers of Genoa handled Spain's financial business, which vastly enriched Genoa's banking oligarchy.
The Napoleonic Wars put an end to the office of Doge of Genoa. In 1797, when Napoleon Bonaparte incorporated Genoa into the newly organized Ligurian Republic, French soldiers and the city's mob ransacked the Doge's palace.
The Doge's election took place through the vote of the members of the Great Council and Minor Council of Genoa that met in a room with the same name at the Doge's Palace. The voting took place by drawing fifty golden balls which were contained in an urn placed in front of the throne. Thanks to a series of successive votes, the number of candidates was reduced to six and, among the latter, the one who obtained the highest number of votes was elected Doge.[2]
From | To | Doge | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
12 October 1528 | 4 January 1531 | |||
4 January 1531 | 4 January 1533 | |||
4 January 1533 | 4 January 1535 | |||
4 January 1535 | 4 January 1537 | |||
4 January 1537 | 4 January 1539 | |||
4 January 1539 | 4 January 1541 | |||
4 January 1541 | 4 January 1543 | |||
4 January 1543 | 4 January 1545 | |||
4 January 1545 | 4 January 1547 | |||
4 January 1547 | 4 January 1549 | |||
4 January 1549 | 4 January 1551 | |||
4 January 1551 | 4 January 1553 | |||
4 January 1553 | 4 January 1555 | |||
4 January 1555 | 4 January 1557 | |||
4 January 1557 | 3 December 1558 | Died in office. | ||
4 January 1559 | 4 January 1561 | |||
4 January 1561 | 27 September 1561 | Died in office. | ||
4 October 1561 | 4 October 1563 | |||
7 October 1563 | 7 October 1565 | |||
11 October 1565 | 11 October 1567 | |||
15 October 1567 | 3 October 1569 | |||
6 October 1569 | 6 October 1571 | |||
10 October 1571 | 10 October 1573 | |||
16 October 1573 | 17 October 1575 | |||
17 October 1575 | 17 October 1577 | |||
19 October 1577 | 19 October 1579 | |||
20 October 1579 | 20 October 1581 | |||
21 October 1581 | 21 October 1583 | |||
4 November 1583 | 4 November 1585 | |||
8 November 1585 | 13 November 1587 | |||
14 November 1587 | 14 November 1589 | |||
20 November 1589 | 15 November 1591 | |||
27 November 1591 | 26 November 1593 | |||
27 November 1593 | 26 November 1595 | |||
5 December 1595 | 4 December 1597 | |||
7 December 1597 | 15 February 1599 |
From | To | Doge | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
22 February 1599 | 21 February 1601 | |||
24 February 1601 | 25 February 1603 | |||
26 February 1603 | 27 February 1605 | |||
1 March 1605 | 2 March 1607 | |||
3 March 1607 | 17 March 1607 | |||
22 March 1607 | 23 March 1609 | |||
1 April 1609 | 2 April 1611 | |||
6 April 1611 | 6 April 1613 | |||
21 April 1613 | 21 April 1615 | |||
25 April 1615 | 25 April 1617 | |||
25 April 1617 | 29 April 1619 | |||
2 May 1619 | 2 May 1621 | |||
4 May 1621 | 12 June 1621 | Died in office. | ||
22 June 1621 | 22 June 1623 | |||
25 June 1623 | 16 June 1625 | |||
16 June 1625 | 25 June 1627 | |||
28 June 1627 | 28 June 1629 | |||
26 June 1629 | 26 June 1631 | |||
30 June 1631 | 30 June 1633 | |||
5 July 1633 | 5 July 1635 | |||
11 July 1635 | 11 July 1637 | |||
13 July 1637 | 13 July 1639 | |||
28 July 1639 | 28 July 1641 | |||
14 August 1641 | 19 June 1642 | Died in office. | ||
4 July 1642 | 4 July 1644 | |||
21 July 1644 | 21 July 1646 | |||
24 July 1646 | 24 July 1648 | |||
1 August 1648 | 1 August 1650 |
From | To | Doge | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
23 August 1650 | 23 August 1652 | |||
8 September 1652 | 8 September 1654 | |||
9 October 1654 | 9 October 1656 | |||
12 October 1656 | 12 October 1658 | |||
15 October 1658 | 15 October 1660 | |||
28 October 1660 | 22 March 1661 | Died in office. | ||
28 March 1661 | 29 March 1663 | |||
13 April 1663 | 12 April 1665 | |||
18 April 1665 | 18 April 1667 | |||
10 May 1667 | 10 May 1669 | |||
18 June 1669 | 18 June 1671 | |||
27 June 1671 | 27 June 1673 | |||
5 July 1673 | 4 July 1675 | |||
11 July 1675 | 11 July 1677 | |||
16 July 1677 | 16 July 1679 | |||
29 July 1679 | 29 July 1681 | |||
13 August 1681 | 13 August 1683 | |||
18 August 1683 | 18 August 1685 | |||
23 August 1685 | 23 August 1687 | |||
27 August 1687 | 27 August 1689 | |||
31 August 1689 | 1 September 1691 | |||
4 September 1691 | 5 September 1693 | |||
9 September 1693 | 9 September 1695 | |||
16 September 1695 | 16 September 1697 | |||
19 September 1697 | 26 May 1699 | Died in office. |
From | To | Doge | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
3 June 1699 | 3 June 1701 | |||
7 June 1701 | 7 June 1703 | |||
1 August 1703 | 1 August 1705 | |||
22 August 1705 | 22 August 1707 | |||
9 September 1707 | 9 September 1709 | |||
14 September 1709 | 14 September 1711 | |||
22 September 1711 | 22 September 1713 | |||
22 September 1713 | 22 September 1715 | |||
26 September 1715 | 26 September 1717 | |||
30 September 1717 | 30 September 1719 | |||
4 October 1719 | 4 October 1721 | |||
8 October 1721 | 8 October 1723 | |||
13 October 1723 | 13 October 1725 | |||
18 January 1726 | 18 January 1728 | |||
22 January 1728 | 22 January 1730 | |||
20 January 1730 | 20 January 1732 | |||
29 January 1732 | 29 January 1734 | |||
3 February 1734 | 3 February 1736 | |||
7 February 1736 | 7 February 1738 | 2nd King of Corsica (following the downfall of Theodor Stephan Freiherr von Neuhoff, the island was annexed to Genoa and the doges also became Kings of Corsica). | ||
7 February 1738 | 7 February 1740 | 3rd King of Corsica | ||
16 February 1740 | 16 February 1742 | 4th King of Corsica | ||
20 February 1742 | 20 February 1744 | 5th King of Corsica | ||
1 February 1744 | 1 February 1746 | 6th King of Corsica | ||
3 March 1746 | 3 March 1748 | 7th King of Corsica | ||
6 March 1748 | 6 March 1750 | 8th King of Corsica |
From | To | Doge | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
10 March 1750 | 10 March 1752 | 9th King of Corsica | ||
28 March 1752 | 7 June 1752 | 10th King of Corsica. Abdicated | ||
7 June 1752 | 7 June 1754 | 11th King of Corsica | ||
23 June 1754 | 23 June 1756 | 12th and last King of Corsica | ||
22 June 1756 | 22 June 1758 | |||
22 August 1758 | 22 August 1760 | |||
22 September 1760 | 10 September 1762 | |||
25 November 1762 | 25 November 1764 | |||
29 January 1765 | 29 January 1767 | |||
3 February 1767 | 3 February 1769 | |||
16 February 1769 | 16 February 1771 | |||
16 April 1771 | 16 April 1773 | |||
7 January 1773 | 9 January 1773 | |||
26 January 1773 | 26 January 1775 | |||
31 January 1775 | 31 January 1777 | |||
4 February 1777 | 4 February 1779 | |||
4 March 1779 | 4 March 1781 | |||
8 March 1781 | 8 March 1783 | |||
6 May 1783 | 6 May 1785 | |||
6 June 1785 | 6 June 1787 | |||
4 July 1787 | 4 July 1789 | |||
30 July 1789 | 30 July 1791 | |||
3 September 1791 | 3 September 1793 | |||
16 September 1793 | 16 September 1795 | |||
17 November 1795 | 17 November 1797 | Final Genoese Doge. Position abolished after Napoleon took Genoa. |