Government of the Republic of Venice

History

The complex system of government of the Republic of Venice, lasting from 697 to 1797, was the result of numerous successive stratifications originated especially in the XI-XIII centuries and the subsequent constant research by the dominant patriziato (patrician class) for a balance and mutual control between the different organs of the State.

The formation of the Venetian constitutional system was a long process that started from the original government of the Byzantine duke, appointed by the Imperial Exarch of Ravenna. Over time, this evolved gradually until it took on its definitive form as an aristocratic republic.

Constitutional Development

Three phases can be identified in the development of the Venetian constitutional system:

1. **The Ducal Period**: This phase saw the birth of the ducal institute and the subsequent formation of an elected monarchist government, which attempted to transform into a hereditary form but ultimately failed.
2. **Restrictive Communal Monarchy**: During this period, a restrictive communal form of monarchical power emerged, gradually taking on an aristocratic form.

The Serrata (1297) and Oligarchic Rule

The Constitution of the Republic of Venice was essentially concluded with the so-called closure of the Great Council (serrata) in 1297. With the serrata, most of the population was permanently excluded from participation in power, and an oligarchic rule of a closed circle of noble families was installed.

Until the end of the Republic in 1797, the system of government remained in its essential features but was supplemented by the establishment of numerous sub-authorities with varying and not always precisely defined responsibilities. The driving forces behind constitutional development were the prevention of an ancestral monarchy and the establishment of a balance of power between influential noble families and individual government organs.

State Organs

All state offices connected with competences were awarded only for a short period of time, while state organs appointed for life, such as the Doge (Duke) and the procurators, played significant roles in the governance of the Republic.