Procurators of Saint Mark

The office of Procurators of Saint Mark (Italian: Procuratore di San Marco) was the second most prestigious life appointment in the Republic of Venice, after that of Doge of Venice.

The Procuratie Vecchie, one of the Procuratie in the Piazza San Marco, which contained the offices of the Procurators of San Marco.

St Mark's Basilica: the office of Procurator of San Marco originated as a position to administer the assets of the basilica.

18th-19th century costume of the Procurator of Saint Mark, wearing the sash of the Order of the Golden Star

History

Originating in the ninth century, the Procurator's original duties were to attend to the fabric and administration of St Mark's Basilica. There was originally one Procurator, appointed by the Doge, but between 1231 and 1442, their number increased to nine procurators appointed by the Great Council of Venice. Their duties also expanded in 1269 to include the protection of orphans and the insane, as well as the execution of wills. Appointment as a Procurator of San Marco was one of the highest honours the Most Serene Republic could bestow on its leading citizens, next to the Dogate, and along with the latter, the only appointments for life.

The nine procurators consisted of:

• the Procuratori de Supra, who took care of the administration of St Mark's Basilica;
• the Procuratori de Citra, who dispensed charity and attended to wills in the sestieri of San Marco, Castello, and Cannaregio; and
• the Procuratori de Ultra, who performed the same function for the sestieri of Dorsoduro, Santa Croce, and San Polo.

The Procurators' offices were located in the Procuratie in the Piazza San Marco.

The office today

The office of Procurator of St Mark's was not abolished at the fall of the Republic of Venice in 1797. Instead, the Procurators remained responsible for administering the assets of St. Mark's Basilica, under the authority of the Patriarch of Venice.

The position was confirmed by a royal decree issued by Victor Emmanuel III of Italy in 1931. Today, there are seven procurators, with the president holding the title of First Procurator of St Mark's (Primo Procuratore di San Marco). The Procurators work closely with architects and engineers to ensure the historic preservation of St. Mark's Basilica.

References

• This article is based on this article on Italian Wikipedia.
• Da Mosto, Andrea: L'Archivio di Stato di Venezia, Biblioteca d'Arte editrice, Rome, 1937.