Doge

doge

(Venetian Italian: “duke”) Highest official of the republic of Venice in the 8th–18th century. The office originated when the city was nominally subject to the Byzantine empire and became permanent in the 8th century. The doge was chosen from among the ruling families of Venice and held office for life. He held extensive power, as evidenced by the rule of Enrico Dandolo (r. 1192–1205), though from the 12th century the aristocracy placed limits on the doge's authority. Under Francesco Foscari (r.1423–57), Venice undertook the first conquests of the Italian mainland. The last doge was deposed when Napoleon conquered northern Italy in 1797.

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doge

(formerly) the chief magistrate in the republics of Venice (until 1797) and Genoa (until 1805)

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Doge 

the head of the republic of Venice from the late seventh through the 18th centuries and of the republic of Genoa from the 14th through the 18th centuries. In Venice the doge was elected for a life term by the patriciate from among its own ranks through a system of indirect votes, and initially he had great power. After the attempts by some doges to transform their rule into a hereditary seigneury, the Venetian oligarchy gradually (12th-14th centuries) reduced the role of the doge to that of a figurehead. In Genoa the position of lifelong doge was introduced in 1339 but was limited to a term of two years in 1528.