Governatore dei condannati
The governatore dei condannati was a senior commander of the navy of the Republic of Venice. The post initially headed the galley squadron manned by convicts and captives rather than free crewmen.
Convicts and Muslim captives began to be employed as rowers in the Venetian navy, when the first institutions to administer them are also attested. The post of governatore dei condannati was also created at this time. The use of convicts to row the galleys increased over time, except for the flagships and the galeasses. Finally, as the number of galleys in the Venetian fleet diminished in favour of sailing ships of the line, after 1721 all Venetian galleys were exclusively manned by convicts.
Like all squadron commanders of the rowed fleet —the Provveditore d'Armata, the Capitano delle galeazze, and the Capitano in Golfo—he hoisted his ensign on a bastard galley, with striped red-and-white sails and tents. As his distinctive signs, the flagship of the governatore dei condannati carried a single lantern and the standard of Saint Mark on a plain-topped staff aft, and on the foremast a square ensign of Saint Mark with an egg-shaped tail.
His staff included a chancellor or a secretary nominated by the Council of Ten, an adjutant, a quartermaster, and a standard-bearer. For his personal service he had a head of household, a steward, a cook, a wine steward, and two orderlies. In addition he had at his disposal a boat with twelve boatsmen and a rowed frigate with a captain, two steersmen, two artillerymen and 18 rowers.