Simone Boccanegra (; lij, Scimon Boccaneigra ; died 1363) was the first

Doge of Genoa The Doge of Genoa ( lij, Dûxe, ; la, Januensium dux et populi defensor, "Commander of the Genoese and Defender of the People") was the ruler of the Republic of Genoa, a city-state and soon afterwards a maritime republic, from 1339 until t ...

. He became doge in 1339, but was ousted from power six years later. He regained the position in 1356, retaining it until his death in 1363. His story was popularized by Antonio García Gutiérrez's 1843 play ''Simón Bocanegra'' and Giuseppe Verdi's 1857 opera '' Simon Boccanegra''.

Family background

Simone Boccanegra belonged to the wealthy Genoese Boccanegra family of merchants, a family that had among its members Guglielmo Boccanegra, who in 1257 became a virtual dictator of the Republic of Genoa when an insurrection against the government of the old aristocracy made him gain the control of the republic. Guglielmo Boccanegra was also the commissioner, in 1260, of the building of Palazzo San Giorgio, the future seat of republican power in the republic.

Life as doge

Boccanegra was elected doge for life on 23 December 1339. Boccanegra was opposed by the aristocratic faction, representing the old mercantile patriciate, which his first actions excluded from public life. With the old patriciate excluded from power, a new class of mercantile houses arose:

Adorno Theodor W. Adorno ( , ; born Theodor Ludwig Wiesengrund; 11 September 1903 – 6 August 1969) was a German philosopher, sociologist, psychologist, musicologist, and composer. He was a leading member of the Frankfurt School of critical ...

, Guarco, Fregoso, and Montaldo. During Boccanegra's dogate, Genoese control was extended the length of both the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

and Italian Rivieras, with the exception of the Grimaldi holdings in Monaco and Ventimiglia. Simone's brother Egidio, was a grand admiral in the service of

Alfonso XI of Castile Alfonso XI (13 August 131126 March 1350), called the Avenger (''el Justiciero''), was King of Castile and León. He was the son of Ferdinand IV of Castile and his wife Constance of Portugal. Upon his father's death in 1312, several disputes ...

, and inflicted a memorable defeat on a Moroccan fleet off

Algeciras Algeciras ( , ) is a municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Cádiz, Andalusia. Located in the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula, near the Strait of Gibraltar, it is the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar ...

in 1344. There were constant conspiracies and even attempts against Boccanegra's life from the start. (The first conspirator's head rolled on 20 December 1339.) This led to the establishment of a bodyguard of 103 mounted soldiers. For Boccanegra's security, these were drawn from

Pisa Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the ...

, the inveterate enemy of Genoa, where, however, Simone's brother Niccolò was "

Capitano del popolo Captain of the People ( it, Capitano del popolo, Lombard: ''Capitani del Popol'') was an administrative title used in Italy during the Middle Ages, established essentially to balance the power and authority of the noble families of the Italian c ...

", their mother having been a Pisan aristocrat.

Resignation and death

Boccanegra was forced to resign his office at a public meeting he had called on 23 December 1345. He was succeeded by

Giovanni I di Murta Giovanni di Murta ( Murta, date unknown – Genoa, 6 January 1350) was elected the second Doge of the Republic of Genoa after the resignation of Simone Boccanegra, on 25 December 1345. His dogate was dominated by his attempts to break the circle o ...

, who died in early January 1350 and then by Giovanni II Valente, who ruled as chief magistrate, until Boccanegra regained power in 1356. Boccanegra died in 1363, possibly having been poisoned by agents of his enemies.

In culture

The

humanist Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "humani ...

poet

Petrarch Francesco Petrarca (; 20 July 1304 – 18/19 July 1374), commonly anglicized as Petrarch (), was a scholar and poet of early Renaissance Italy, and one of the earliest humanists. Petrarch's rediscovery of Cicero's letters is often credite ...

wrote letters to the people of Genoa and to the

doge of Venice The Doge of Venice ( ; vec, Doxe de Venexia ; it, Doge di Venezia ; all derived from Latin ', "military leader"), sometimes translated as Duke (compare the Italian '), was the chief magistrate and leader of the Republic of Venice between 726 ...

appealing to them to end their fratricidal wars and find a common aim. These letters were among Verdi's inspirations for the revision of the opera in 1881. Simone Boccanegra's tomb in the no longer extant church of San Francesco in Castelletto was decorated with a remarkable funeral sculpture, depicting him as if lying in state with extraordinary realism in his features. This sculpture is now in the Museum of Sant'Agostino.

References

External links

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Il primo doge: Simone Boccanegra
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boccanegra, Simone 1363 deaths 14th-century Doges of Genoa Assassinated Italian politicians Deaths by poisoning Year of birth unknown