Grand chancellor (Republic of Venice) explained

The grand chancellor (Italian: cancelliere grande) was one of the most senior offices in the Republic of Venice. Alone among the senior magistracies, which were reserved for the Venetian patriciate, it was held by common citizens (Italian: cittadini).

History and functions

The origins of the title are unknown. It appeared along with the chancery of the Doge of Venice, and is first mentioned in the sources in 1268. It was the highest office held exclusively by Italian: cittadini, the non-noble citizens of the Republic of Venice, and as a result it was also the de facto head of this social class, just as the Doge was for the patriciate. The holder of the office enjoyed unusual privileges: the title of Excellency, purple clothing like the Doge's, and a very high place in the order of precedence—right after the Doge, the ducal councillors, and the Procurators of Saint Mark.

The grand chancellor was elected by the Great Council of Venice,[1] and supervised the Doge's chancery and the archives of the Venetian state. Exceptionally for Venetian magistracies, tenure was for life, as for the Doge and the Procurators of Saint Mark. The chancellor had the right to enter all governing councils of the Republic, along with the Doge. He kept the registers of elections to the councils, was responsible for the appointment of notaries, and kept the state treaties with foreign powers in a locked closet (the Italian: Secreta), to which only he had access.

His deputies were the Italian: reggente and Italian: vice-reggente of the chancery. The chancery comprised a hundred clerks, likewise recruited exclusively from the non-noble citizenry; The historian Ioana Iordanou stresses that "[t]hese were different from other public officers in a significant way: recruitment was subject to rigorous public examinations, formal training, and,more often than not, continuous professional development". After an examination, they attained the rank of extraordinary clerk (Italian: notaio straordinario), and after five years progressed to become ordinary clerk (Italian: notaio ordinario). The clerks were often entrusted with sensitive missions on behalf of the state, including as residents in embassies abroad (though not as amabssadors). Higher levels still were as secretary to the Venetian Senate and ultimately as secretary to the Council of Ten, posts which were attained after further years of service or successful missions abroad.

List of grand chancellors

Sources

. [{{GBurl|Dek7AQAAIAAJ}} Venetian Studies ]. Horatio Brown . London . Kegan Paul, Trench & Co . 1887 . 458907462.

. Frederic C. Lane . Venice, A Maritime Republic . Baltimore, Maryland . Johns Hopkins University Press . 1973 . 0-8018-1445-6 .

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. cf. .

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