Doge of Venice
| Doge of Venice | |
|---|---|
Coat of arms | |
| 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) |
The Doge of Venice (/doʊdʒ/ DOHJ) – in Italian, Doge di Venezia [ˈdɔːd͡ʒe di veˈnett͡sja] – was the doge or highest role of authority within the Republic of Venice (697–1797). The word Doge derives from the Latin Dux, meaning 'leader', and Venetian Italian dialect for 'duke', highest official of the republic of Venice for over 1,000 years. In standard Italian, the cognate is duce (/duːtʃeɪ/ DOO-chay, Italian: [ˈduːt͡ʃe]), one of National Fascist Party leader Benito Mussolini's titles.
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.