doge (il doge)

le doge (il doge) (FR ITAL N-M) once the chief executive of the Venetian (or Genoan) republic. The first Doge was elected in 697. The elections were labyrinthine political processes, and the Doges were elected for life. Venetians preferred older Doges, as they died more often, thereby ensuring a faster turnover and less influence per Doge. Though the Doges gave the appearance of absolute power, they were actually the servants of an incredibly complex and arcane system of political…