anzianate

English

Noun

anzianate

1. (historical) A particular council in some medieval Italian towns.
   • 1787, John Adams, A defence of the constitutions of government of the United States of America:

     These twelve magistrates were renewed every two months; and afterwards, as appears by a law of 1277, it was established, that the anzianate should not continue longer than one month […]

   • 1997, Philip Jones, The Italian City-State: From Commune to Signoria, page 588:

     […] and various procedural rules such as the requirement laid on governing bodies like the Pisan anzianate of a larger majority for decisions on private than public affairs.

   • 2006, Christine Shaw, Popular Government and Oligarchy in Renaissance Italy, page 192:

     In the republic of Lucca, for instance, where the college of nine Anziani headed by a Gonfaloniere di Giustizia sat for two months, and continued to be drawn from an electoral purse made up every two years, in theory, the Anzianate was open to nearly all adult male citizens.

   • 2010, Sarah Rubin Blanshei, Politics and Justice in Late Medieval Bologna, page 130:

     The four top ranking families in the anzianate were thus not only banking families but three of the four held a significantly larger proportion of their terms in the anzianate in the second period, after the bankers (along with their merchants) lost their numerical advantage in that office.

Translations

council

• Italian: anzianato m