podestàn.
/ˌpəʊdəˈstɑː/, /ˌpəʊdɛˈstɑː/, U.S. /ˌpoʊdəˈstɑ/ In Italy: (a title given to) any of various holders of public office at different periods, as a city governor, mayor, civic magistrate, or other municipal officer; spec. (a) the chief magistrate elected annually in medieval Italian towns or city-states and having extensive civic and judicial powers (historical); (b) a governor appointed by Frederick I (Holy Roman Emperor 1155–90, and King of Germany 1152–90) over one or more cities of Lombardy (historical); (c) (during the Italian Fascist regime 1927–43) an official appointed to administer a municipality.In quot. 1616 an extended use of sense (a).
ΘΚΠ
society > law > administration of justice > one who administers justice > judge > [noun] > in European countries > in medieval Italy
podestà?1553
society > authority > rule or government > ruler or governor > a or the government > head of government > [noun] > in a republic > in medieval Italian republics
potestate1485
podestà?1553
society > law > administration of justice > one who administers justice > judge > [noun] > in European countries
podestate1589
alguazil1651
guazil1665
podestà1768
society > authority > rule or government > ruler or governor > governor of province, dependency, or colony > governors by country > [noun] > in Lombardy under Holy Roman Empire
podestà1821
?1553 J. Locke in Hakluyt's Voy. (1599) II. i. 104 The Uenetians haue alwayes their Podesta, or Gouernour, with his two Counsellours resident therein [sc. the castle of Zante].
a1566 T. Hoby Trav. (1902) 10 No man weareth his weapon within the town, but such as are licensed by the Podesta.
1611 T. Coryate Crudities sig. N4v I was also in another publique Palace that belongeth to the Praetor or Podestà of Padua.
1616 R. Johnson tr. G. Botero Relations Famous Kingdomes World (rev. ed.) ii. 86 [In London] we haue a Podesta, or Maior, that keepeth a prince-like house.
1704 A. F. Trav. Eng. Gentleman (ed. 2) 74 The Podesta is he who represents the Senate; and Executes their Power.
1768 J. Boswell Acct. Corsica ii Every..village elects by majority of votes a Podesta and other two magistrates.
1821 Ld. Byron Marino Faliero (2nd issue) Pref. p. x When podesta and captain at Treviso.
1832 J.-C.-L. S. de Sismondi Hist. Ital. Republics ii. 39 When the podestà of the Emperor arrived at Milan to take possession of the tribunal, he was sent contemptuously away.
1860 All Year Round 28 Apr. 71 On the following night, the Podestà of the city suddenly died.
1906 G. G. Coulton From St. Francis to Dante 87 The Prelates i.e. officials of religious orders should be regularly changed, as the Captains & Podestas of the cities.
1928 E. A. Powell Embattled Borders ii. 43 Another daring innovation introduced by the Fascists was the abolition of the electoral system for choosing the mayors and councils of cities and towns and the substitution of the podestà form of government—podestà being the title of a chief magistrate in the medieval Italian republics.
1973 P. A. Allum Politics & Society Post-War Naples iii. 75 In the small country towns the party was content to appoint the local boss or head of the leading family as podestà.
1984 M. Clark Mod. Italy xi. 235 All local councils were dissolved in 1926, and mayors were dismissed. Thereafter the municipalities (comuni) were run by one man, the podestà,..appointed by the Prefect.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.?1553