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''Bailo'' or ''baylo'' (plural ''baili'' or ''bayli'') is a
Venetian Venetian often means from or related to: * Venice, a city in Italy * Veneto, a region of Italy * Republic of Venice (697–1797), a historical nation in that area Venetian and the like may also refer to: * Venetian language, a Romance language s ...
title that derives from the
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
term ''
baiulus A bailiff (from Middle English baillif, Old French ''baillis'', ''bail'' "custody") is a manager, overseer or custodian – a legal officer to whom some degree of authority or jurisdiction is given. Bailiffs are of various kinds and their off ...
'', meaning "porter, bearer". In English, it may be translated bailiff, or otherwise rendered as bailey, baili, bailie, bailli or baillie. The office of a ''bailo'' is a ''bailaggio'' (sometimes anglicised "bailate"). The term was transliterated into Greek as μπαΐουλος (''baioulos''), but Nicephorus Gregoras translated it ἐπίτροπος (''epitropos'', steward) or ἔφορος ('' ephoros'', overseer). In the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
, a ''bailo'' was a resident ambassador of the
Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia ...
. The most famous ''baili'' were those at Constantinople, who were, from 1268, the Venetian ambassadors to the Byzantine court and, after 1453, to the Ottoman government. There were also permanent ''baili'' at Negroponte, Durazzo and Corfu. ''Baili'' were also sent to represent Venetian interests at the courts of
Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ...
, Acre (Jerusalem),
Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''O ...
and Trebizond. In the mid-thirteenth century, the Venetian consuls in Tyre and Tripoli in the kingdom of Acre were upgraded to the rank of ''bailo''. Venice also sent ''baili'' to oversee its colonies at Aleppo, Antivari, Koroni,
Modon The Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones ( ar, الهيئة السعودية للمدن الصناعية ومناطق التقنية), also known simply as MODON ( ar, مُدُن) is a government organization created by the Go ...
, Nauplia, Patras and
Tenedos Tenedos (, ''Tenedhos'', ), or Bozcaada in Turkish, is an island of Turkey in the northeastern part of the Aegean Sea. Administratively, the island constitutes the Bozcaada district of Çanakkale Province. With an area of it is the third l ...
. The term ''baiulus'' was first used in Venetian documents translated from
Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
in the twelfth century. It was originally used to refer to Muslim officials, but in the thirteenth century came to be applied to special envoys sent by Venice to govern its colonies in Frankish Greece. These governors doubled as diplomats. They operated courts for the Venetian colonists, collected taxes and customs dues and supervised Venetian trade. Each was assisted by a chancery (run by a chancellor) and a Council of Twelve, composed of the leading men of the colony and modeled on the Council of Ten in Venice. Each had a chaplain, a physician and an interpreter (or dragoman). Each sent back regular reports to Venice on the local politics, the affairs of the colony and, most importantly, the prices and quantities of goods in the local market. He was the superior of the consuls operating in the same country. By the end of the 15th century, the office of ''bailo'' had mostly disappeared, with those operating on foreign soil being downgraded to consuls and those governing Venetian territories being termed rectors, captains or ''
podestà Podestà (, English: Potestate, Podesta) was the name given to the holder of the highest civil office in the government of the cities of Central and Northern Italy during the Late Middle Ages. Sometimes, it meant the chief magistrate of a city ...
''. The bailates of Constantinople and Corfu, however, survived until the end of the republic in 1797.


Notes

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See also

*
Bailo of Constantinople A bailo, also spelled baylo (pl. / ) was a diplomat who oversaw the affairs of the Republic of Venice in Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, and was a permanent fixture in the city around 1454. The traumatic outcomes of Venice's ...
*
Bailo of Negroponte The ''bailo'' and captain of Negroponte was the representative of the Republic of Venice stationed at Chalcis (Negroponte) on the island of Euboea. The ''bailo'' played an important role as the mediator between, and ''de facto'' overlord of, the ...
*
Bailo of Corfu The Bailo of Corfu was the leader of the Venetian delegation to the island of Corfu who oversaw the affairs of the island while under Venetian rule and protected the commercial and military interests of the Republic of Venice. The first mention ...


Further reading

*Maria Pia Pedani
"Elenco degli inviati diplomatici veneziani presso i sovrani ottomani"
''Electronic Journal of Oriental Studies'' 5, 4 (2002): 1–54. Government of the Republic of Venice