Title attached to a number of European states through history
This article is about the title of sovereign states. For the Canadian indie rock band, see
The Most Serene Republic.
Most Serene Republic (
Latin: Serenissima Respublica;
Italian: Serenissima Repubblica;
Polish:Najjaśniejsza Rzeczpospolita) is a title attached to a number of
European states through history. By custom, the appellation "Most Serene" is an indicator of
sovereignty (see also
Serene Highness or Most Serene Highness for a sovereign prince). When used in the past, the title "Most Serene Republic" emphasized the sovereignty of the republic.
Modern states
Currently, no country officially calls itself a "Most Serene Republic".[1]San Marino, officially "the Republic of San Marino" (Italian: Repubblica di San Marino) and
Poland, officially "the Republic of Poland" are the only two modern independent nations still sometimes referred to by the style, being at times unofficially called "the Most Serene Republic of San Marino" (Italian: Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino)[2] and "the Most Serene Republic of Poland" (Polish: Najjaśniejsza Rzeczpospolita).[citation needed]
Historical states
The Most Serene
Republic of Venice (
Venetian: Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia; Italian: Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia), a city-state that existed from 697 to 1797 based in the city of
Venice with continuously controlled territory along the eastern Adriatic and Greece at its strongest period. The phrase La Serenissima ("The Most Serene") was also popularly used as a specific reference to the Venetian government or state authorities.[3]
The Most Serene
Republic of Genoa (
Ligurian: Serenìscima Repùbrica de Zêna; Italian: Serenissima Repubblica di Genova), an independent state based in present-day
Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast from
c. 1100 to 1805. After using the plain title of "Republic" for a long time, the honorific "Most Serene" was added after the election of the first
Doge of Genoa (1339). Even so, to distinguish their government from its ancient rival to the east, the Genoese rarely used the "Most Serene" designation, opting more frequently for the appellation "Superb Republic" (Italian: La Superba Repubblica), a nickname allegedly coined by
Petrarch in 1358.[4]
The Most Serene
Republic of Lucca (Italian: Serenissima Repubblica di Lucca), a
city-state that existed from 1119 to 1799 based in the city of
Lucca, in northern
Tuscany,
Italy. Lucca was the third largest Italian city state (after
Venice and
Genoa) with a republican constitution (comune) to remain independent over the centuries.[5]
^Dauverd, Céline (2014). Imperial Ambition in the Early Modern Mediterranean: Genoese Merchants and the Spanish Crown. Cambridge, UK:
Cambridge University Press. p. 318.
ISBN9781107062368.
Title attached to a number of European states through history
This article is about the title of sovereign states. For the Canadian indie rock band, see
The Most Serene Republic.
Most Serene Republic (
Latin: Serenissima Respublica;
Italian: Serenissima Repubblica;
Polish:Najjaśniejsza Rzeczpospolita) is a title attached to a number of
European states through history. By custom, the appellation "Most Serene" is an indicator of
sovereignty (see also
Serene Highness or Most Serene Highness for a sovereign prince). When used in the past, the title "Most Serene Republic" emphasized the sovereignty of the republic.
Modern states
Currently, no country officially calls itself a "Most Serene Republic".[1]San Marino, officially "the Republic of San Marino" (Italian: Repubblica di San Marino) and
Poland, officially "the Republic of Poland" are the only two modern independent nations still sometimes referred to by the style, being at times unofficially called "the Most Serene Republic of San Marino" (Italian: Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino)[2] and "the Most Serene Republic of Poland" (Polish: Najjaśniejsza Rzeczpospolita).[citation needed]
Historical states
The Most Serene
Republic of Venice (
Venetian: Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia; Italian: Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia), a city-state that existed from 697 to 1797 based in the city of
Venice with continuously controlled territory along the eastern Adriatic and Greece at its strongest period. The phrase La Serenissima ("The Most Serene") was also popularly used as a specific reference to the Venetian government or state authorities.[3]
The Most Serene
Republic of Genoa (
Ligurian: Serenìscima Repùbrica de Zêna; Italian: Serenissima Repubblica di Genova), an independent state based in present-day
Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast from
c. 1100 to 1805. After using the plain title of "Republic" for a long time, the honorific "Most Serene" was added after the election of the first
Doge of Genoa (1339). Even so, to distinguish their government from its ancient rival to the east, the Genoese rarely used the "Most Serene" designation, opting more frequently for the appellation "Superb Republic" (Italian: La Superba Repubblica), a nickname allegedly coined by
Petrarch in 1358.[4]
The Most Serene
Republic of Lucca (Italian: Serenissima Repubblica di Lucca), a
city-state that existed from 1119 to 1799 based in the city of
Lucca, in northern
Tuscany,
Italy. Lucca was the third largest Italian city state (after
Venice and
Genoa) with a republican constitution (comune) to remain independent over the centuries.[5]
^Dauverd, Céline (2014). Imperial Ambition in the Early Modern Mediterranean: Genoese Merchants and the Spanish Crown. Cambridge, UK:
Cambridge University Press. p. 318.
ISBN9781107062368.