Forms of Government
“The Doge’s Palace.” Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. Web. 8 May 2013.
The Republic of Venice formed in 697 A.D. and diminished when the doge, the main ruler, was deposed in 1797. The Republic of Venice was an aristocratic republic. The Republic of Venice was governed by a few noble families. Real power lay in the hands of the Great Council, made up of a thousand nobles, the Council of Ten, one of the most feared political organizations which ran their own secret service, the Minor Council, which assisted the doge, and the Council of the Pregadi, an advisory body similar to the British House of Lords.
The doge was a political figure who served as the chief citizen or head of state. From the end of the thirteenth century, the doge was only a pampered and powerless figure, the central figure in the traditional Venetian doge ceremonies. The doge was elected by the Great Council.
The Republic of Venice was abolished in 1797, when the area was conquered by Napoleon and became part of his empire. Today, Venice is a major city in the country of Italy, a democratic republic.
The doge was a political figure who served as the chief citizen or head of state. From the end of the thirteenth century, the doge was only a pampered and powerless figure, the central figure in the traditional Venetian doge ceremonies. The doge was elected by the Great Council.
The Republic of Venice was abolished in 1797, when the area was conquered by Napoleon and became part of his empire. Today, Venice is a major city in the country of Italy, a democratic republic.