Signoria of Venice

Image:Francesco Guardi 034.jpg|thumb|Francesco Guardi, "The audience allowed by the Doge of Venice in the hall of the Collegio in Palazzo Ducale", painting on canvas, Musée du Louvre, Paris
The Signoria of Venice was the supreme body of government of the Republic of Venice. The older Commune of Venice was replaced by the Signoria from 1423 on, being later officially adopted in the Promissione Ducale by Cristoforo Moro. It constituted a center of power which included the doge's power.
The Signoria can be thought of as the combination of the Doge and the other persons commissioned to collaborate and to rule with him. With the passage of time these functionaries became copartners.

The members of the Signoria of Venice

The Signoria of Venice consisted of:

the Doge, head of the Republic
the Minor Council, created in 1175, which was composed of the Doge's 6 advisors.
the 3 leaders of the Quarantia, the supreme tribunal, created in 1179.

The Doge was the chief magistrate in the republics of Venice and Genoa.
The Signoria was considered a very important body of government, more important than the Doge himself. The sentence se l'è morto el Doge, non-l'è morta la Signoria was ritually said during the ceremonies set for the death of the Doge.