Doge of Genoa

Last updated

Doge of Genoa
Coat of arms of Republic of Genoa.svg
Coat of arms
Giovanni Battista Durazzo-doge.jpg
Giovanni Battista Durazzo
Style Altezza Serenissima
Residence Palazzo Ducale
Appointer
Great Council and Minor Council
Formation23 December 1339
First holder Simone Boccanegra
Final holder Giacomo Maria Brignole
Abolished17 June 1797

The Doge of Genoa [1] 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. [2] The Republic (or Dogate) was ruled by a small group of merchant families, from whom the doges were selected.

Contents

Form of address

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). [3]

History

Flag of Genoa Flag of Genoa.svg
Flag of Genoa
The Palace of the Doges; view from Piazza Matteotti. Genova-Palazzo Ducale da Piazza Matteotti.jpg
The Palace of the Doges; view from Piazza Matteotti.

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. [4]

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.[ citation needed ] 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.

Election

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. [5]

List of Doges of Genoa

Lifetime office-holders

Simone Boccanegra Genova-Palazzo San Giorgio-DSCF7709-edit.JPG
Simone Boccanegra

Doges elected for two years

From 1528 to 1599

Giacomo Grimaldi Durazzo Giacomo Grimaldi Durazzo-doge.jpg
Giacomo Grimaldi Durazzo
FromToDogeNotes
12 October 15284 January 1531 Oberto Cattaneo Lazzari
4 January 15314 January 1533 Battista Spinola
4 January 15334 January 1535 Battista Lomellini
4 January 15354 January 1537 Cristoforo Grimaldi Rosso
4 January 15374 January 1539 Giovanni Battista Doria
4 January 15394 January 1541 Giannandrea Giustiniani Longo
4 January 15414 January 1543 Leonardo Cattaneo della Volta
4 January 15434 January 1545 Andrea Centurione Pietrasanta
4 January 15454 January 1547 Giovanni Battista De Fornari
4 January 15474 January 1549 Benedetto Gentile Pevere
4 January 15494 January 1551 Gaspare Grimaldi Bracelli
4 January 15514 January 1553 Luca Spinola
4 January 15534 January 1555 Giacomo Promontorio
4 January 15554 January 1557 Agostino Pinelli Ardimenti
4 January 15573 December 1558 Pietro Giovanni Chiavica Cibo Died in office.
4 January 15594 January 1561 Girolamo Vivaldi
4 January 156127 September 1561 Paolo Battista Giudice Calvi Died in office.
4 October 15614 October 1563 Giovanni Battista Cicala Zoagli
7 October 15637 October 1565 Giovanni Battista Lercari
11 October 156511 October 1567 Ottavio Gentile Oderico
15 October 15673 October 1569 Simone Spinola
6 October 15696 October 1571 Paolo Giustiniani Moneglia
10 October 157110 October 1573 Giannotto Lomellini
16 October 157317 October 1575 Giacomo Grimaldi Durazzo
17 October 157517 October 1577 Prospero Centurione Fattinanti
19 October 157719 October 1579 Giovanni Battista Gentile Pignolo
20 October 157920 October 1581 Nicolò Doria
21 October 158121 October 1583 Gerolamo De Franchi Toso
4 November 15834 November 1585 Gerolamo Chiavari
8 November 158513 November 1587 Ambrogio Di Negro
14 November 158714 November 1589 Davide Vacca
20 November 158915 November 1591 Battista Negrone
27 November 159126 November 1593 Giovanni Agostino Giustiniani Campi
27 November 159326 November 1595 Antonio Grimaldi Cebà
5 December 15954 December 1597 Matteo Senarega
7 December 159715 February 1599 Lazzaro Grimaldi Cebà

From 1599 to 1650

Giovanni Francesco I Brignole Sale Giovanni Francesco I Brignole Sale-doge.jpg
Giovanni Francesco I Brignole Sale
FromToDogeNotes
22 February 159921 February 1601 Lorenzo Sauli
24 February 160125 February 1603 Agostino Doria
26 February 160327 February 1605 Pietro De Franchi Sacco
1 March 16052 March 1607 Luca Grimaldi De Castro
3 March 160717 March 1607 Silvestro Invrea
22 March 160723 March 1609 Gerolamo Assereto
1 April 16092 April 1611 Agostino Pinelli Luciani
6 April 16116 April 1613 Alessandro Giustiniani Longo
21 April 161321 April 1615 Tomaso Spinola
25 April 161525 April 1617 Bernardo Clavarezza
25 April 161729 April 1619 Giovanni Giacomo Imperiale Tartaro
2 May 16192 May 1621 Pietro Durazzo
4 May 162112 June 1621 Ambrogio Doria Died in office.
22 June 162122 June 1623 Giorgio Centurione
25 June 162316 June 1625 Federico De Franchi Toso
16 June 162525 June 1627 Giacomo Lomellini
28 June 162728 June 1629 Giovanni Luca Chiavari
26 June 162926 June 1631 Andrea Spinola
30 June 163130 June 1633 Leonardo Della Torre
5 July 16335 July 1635 Giovanni Stefano Doria
11 July 163511 July 1637 Giovanni Francesco I Brignole Sale
13 July 163713 July 1639 Agostino Pallavicini
28 July 163928 July 1641 Giovanni Battista Durazzo
14 August 164119 June 1642 Giovanni Agostino De Marini Died in office.
4 July 16424 July 1644 Giovanni Battista Lercari
21 July 164421 July 1646 Luca Giustiniani
24 July 164624 July 1648 Giovanni Battista Lomellini
1 August 16481 August 1650 Giacomo De Franchi Toso

From 1650 to 1699

Oberto Della Torre Oberto Della Torre-doge.jpg
Oberto Della Torre
FromToDogeNotes
23 August 165023 August 1652 Agostino Centurione
8 September 16528 September 1654 Gerolamo De Franchi Toso
9 October 16549 October 1656 Alessandro Spinola
12 October 165612 October 1658 Giulio Sauli
15 October 165815 October 1660 Giovanni Battista Centurione
28 October 166022 March 1661 Gian Bernardo Frugoni Died in office.
28 March 166129 March 1663 Antoniotto Invrea
13 April 166312 April 1665 Stefano De Mari
18 April 166518 April 1667 Cesare Durazzo
10 May 166710 May 1669 Cesare Gentile
18 June 166918 June 1671 Francesco Garbarino
27 June 167127 June 1673 Alessandro Grimaldi
5 July 16734 July 1675 Agostino Saluzzo
11 July 167511 July 1677 Antonio Da Passano
16 July 167716 July 1679 Giannettino Odone
29 July 167929 July 1681 Agostino Spinola
13 August 168113 August 1683 Luca Maria Invrea
18 August 168318 August 1685 Francesco Maria Imperiale Lercari
23 August 168523 August 1687 Pietro Durazzo
27 August 168727 August 1689 Luca Spinola
31 August 16891 September 1691 Oberto Della Torre
4 September 16915 September 1693 Giovanni Battista Cattaneo Della Volta
9 September 16939 September 1695 Francesco Invrea
16 September 169516 September 1697 Bendinelli Negrone
19 September 169726 May 1699 Francesco Maria Sauli Died in office.

From 1699 to 1750

Nicolo Cattaneo Della Volta Nicolo Cattaneo Della Volta-doge.jpg
Nicolò Cattaneo Della Volta
FromToDogeNotes
3 June 16993 June 1701 Girolamo De Mari
7 June 17017 June 1703 Federico De Franchi Toso
1 August 17031 August 1705 Antonio Grimaldi
22 August 170522 August 1707 Stefano Onorato Ferretti
9 September 17079 September 1709 Domenico Maria De Mari
14 September 170914 September 1711 Vincenzo Durazzo
22 September 171122 September 1713 Francesco Maria Imperiale
22 September 171322 September 1715 Giovanni Antonio Giustiniani
26 September 171526 September 1717 Lorenzo Centurione
30 September 171730 September 1719 Benedetto Viale
4 October 17194 October 1721 Ambrogio Imperiale
8 October 17218 October 1723 Cesare De Franchi Toso
13 October 172313 October 1725 Domenico Negrone
18 January 172618 January 1728 Gerolamo Veneroso
22 January 172822 January 1730 Luca Grimaldi
20 January 173020 January 1732 Francesco Maria Balbi
29 January 173229 January 1734 Domenico Maria Spinola
3 February 17343 February 1736 Stefano Durazzo
7 February 17367 February 1738 Nicolò Cattaneo Della Volta 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 17387 February 1740 Costantino Balbi 3rd King of Corsica
16 February 174016 February 1742 Nicolò Spinola 4th King of Corsica
20 February 174220 February 1744 Domenico Canevaro 5th King of Corsica
1 February 17441 February 1746 Lorenzo De Mari 6th King of Corsica
3 March 17463 March 1748 Giovanni Francesco II Brignole Sale 7th King of Corsica
6 March 17486 March 1750 Cesare Cattaneo Della Volta 8th King of Corsica

From 1750 to 1797

Stefano Lomellini Stefano Lomellini-doge di Genova.jpg
Stefano Lomellini
FromToDogeNotes
10 March 175010 March 1752 Agostino Viale 9th King of Corsica
28 March 17527 June 1752 Stefano Lomellini 10th King of Corsica. Abdicated
7 June 17527 June 1754 Giovanni Battista Grimaldi 11th King of Corsica
23 June 175423 June 1756 Gian Giacomo Veneroso 12th and last King of Corsica
22 June 175622 June 1758 Giovanni Giacomo Grimaldi
22 August 175822 August 1760 Matteo Franzoni
22 September 176010 September 1762 Agostino Lomellini
25 November 176225 November 1764 Rodolfo Emilio Brignole Sale
29 January 176529 January 1767 Francesco Maria Della Rovere
3 February 17673 February 1769 Marcello Durazzo
16 February 176916 February 1771 Giovanni Battista Negrone
16 April 177116 April 1773 Giovanni Battista Cambiaso
7 January 17739 January 1773 Ferdinando Spinola
26 January 177326 January 1775 Pier Francesco Grimaldi
31 January 177531 January 1777 Brizio Giustiniani
4 February 17774 February 1779 Giuseppe Lomellini
4 March 17794 March 1781 Giacomo Maria Brignole
8 March 17818 March 1783 Marco Antonio Gentile
6 May 17836 May 1785 Giovanni Battista Ayroli
6 June 17856 June 1787 Gian Carlo Pallavicino
4 July 17874 July 1789 Raffaele Agostino De Ferrari
30 July 178930 July 1791 Alerame Maria Pallavicini
3 September 17913 September 1793 Michelangelo Cambiaso
16 September 179316 September 1795 Giuseppe Maria Doria
17 November 179517 November 1797 Giacomo Maria Brignole Final Genoese Doge. Position abolished after Napoleon took Genoa.

See also

Notes

  1. (Ligurian : Dûxe, pronounced [ˈdyːʒe] ; Latin : Januensium dux et populi defensor, "Commander of the Genoese and Defender of the People")
  2. Chisholm 1911.
  3. "Dogi della Repubblica di Genova". palazzodogeferretto (in Italian). Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  4. Wikisource-logo.svg One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain :  Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Doge". Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 8 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 380.
  5. "Dogi della Repubblica di Genova". palazzodogeferretto (in Italian). Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  6. Steven Epstein. Genoa and the Genoese. p. 243
  7. expelled from office by Paolo Fregoso, Archbishop of Genoa.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simone Boccanegra</span>

Simone Boccanegra was the first Doge of Genoa. He became doge in 1339, but was ousted from power six years later. He regained the position in 1356, retaining it until his death in 1363.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giano I di Campofregoso</span>

Giano I di Campofregoso was the 31st Doge of the Republic of Genoa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antoniotto II Adorno</span>

Antoniotto II Adorno was Doge of the Republic of Genoa from 1522 to 1527. Adorno was the last of the Genoese doges elected for life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antoniotto di Montaldo</span> 11th Doge of Genoa

Antoniotto di Montaldo was the Doge of the Republic of Genoa on two occasions between 1392 and 1394.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paolo di Campofregoso</span>

Paolo di Campofregoso was a Genoese aristocrat and Italian Cardinal who was three times Doge of the Republic of Genoa, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Genoa from 1453 to 1498 and Bishop of Ajaccio from 1493 to 1498.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lodovico di Campofregoso</span> Italian nobleman, Doge of Genoa

Lodovico di Campofregoso (1415–1489) was an Italian nobleman who was three times doge of Genoa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Domenico di Campofregoso</span>

Domenico di Campofregoso (1325–1390) was the fifth doge of Genoa. He succeeded Gabriele Adorno upon the deposition of the latter on August 13, 1370 by the two vicars of the people. He held the longest consecutive term as Doge in the history of the Republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antoniotto I Adorno</span> Genoese doge

The Most Serene Prince Antoniotto Adorno was the 6th doge of the Republic of Genoa and rose four times to this supposedly lifelong position, making him the person most often elected to the Doge office in the history of the republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicolò Guarco</span>

Nicolò Guarco was a Genoese statesman who became the 7th doge of the Republic of Genoa and led the Republic through the War of Chioggia against Venice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giacomo Fregoso</span> Genoese doge

Giacomo Fregoso or Campofregoso (1340–1420) was a statesman who became the 10th doge of Genoa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pietro Fregoso</span> 13th Doge of Genoa

Pietro Fregoso was a statesman who became the 13th Doge of Genoa, serving only a single day in 1393 before ceding the dogeship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niccolo Zoagli</span> 15th Doge of Genoa

Nicolò Zoagli was a Genoese statesman who became Doge of the Republic of Genoa. He took office in May 1394 after his predecessor, Antoniotto di Montaldo, had to flee the city due to the conflict between the local nobility, in particular between the Montaldo and Adorno families. Nicolò stayed in office until 17 August, when he stepped down in favor of Antonio Guarco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonio Guarco</span>

Antonio Guarco was the 20º doge of the Republic of Genoa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giorgio Adorno</span>

Giorgio Adorno was a statesman who became doge of the Republic of Genoa for two years. His father was Adornino Adorno and his mother Nicolosia della Rocca and his brother, Antoniotto, was elected four times as doge of the Republic. He was born c. 1350 but little is known about his youth except that he married Pietrina Montaldo, daughter of the doge Leonardo Montaldo. With her he had nine children, including the future doge Raffaele Adorno.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fregoso</span> Republic of Genoa family

The Fregoso or Campofregoso were a noble family of the Republic of Genoa and Liguria in general, divided into numerous branches, whose members distinguished themselves on numerous historical occasions; many of them held the position of Doge of Genoa, some were also lords of Sarzana; others finally held various fiefdoms, lands and titles along the arc of the Ligurian Apennines, such as the county of Sant'Agata Feltria which was owned by Agostino Fregoso. The Fregoso family monopolized the Dogate's lifetime office, becoming the dynasty who produced the highest number of doges in the history of the Republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barnaba Guano</span> Doge of the Republic of Genoa

Barnaba Guano was the 23rd Doge of the Republic of Genoa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barnaba Adorno</span> Doge of the Republic of Genoa

Barnaba Adorno was the 30th Doge of the Republic of Genoa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spinetta Fregoso</span> Doge of the Republic of Genoa

Spinetta Fregoso was the 35th Doge of the Republic of Genoa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battista Fregoso (1380–1442)</span> Doge of the Republic of Genoa

Battista Fregoso was the 27th Doge of the Republic of Genoa. His leadership lasted only one day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prospero Adorno</span> Doge of the Republic of Genoa

Prospero Adorno was the 34th Doge of the Republic of Genoa. Between 1477 and 1478 he was appointed Genoese governor for Gian Galeazzo Maria Sforza, after the submission of the Republic to the House of Sforza, Dukes of Milan.