In the Republic of Venice, a zonta was an extraordinary group of patricians chosen to serve alongside the elected members of the governing councils of the Republic. [1] The purpose of this measure was as a constitutional safeguard against the accumulation of power by individuals, and to broaden the decision-making circles on important issues.
The term is the Venetian variant of aggiunta, 'addition'. [2] The purpose of the institution was to prevent corruption and autocratic tendencies in the governing councils such as the powerful Council of Ten, [3] but, since its members were typically chosen among patricians who had not been elected to one of these councils, it was also a "'constitutional shortcut' for those noblemen who wished to actively participate in the Venetian oligarchy but had not achieved the necessary backing". [2] Zontas existed for the Council of Ten—originally 20 men, after 1529 reduced to 15, but the number could vary; [2] the Venetian Senate, where a zonta of 60 adjuncts was added to the 60 regularly elected senators, nominated by senators whose terms were coming to a close; [4] [5] as well as extraordinary commissions of inquiry, such as the one convened to investigate the Faliero coup in 1355. [6]
In the Republic of Venice, a zonta was an extraordinary group of patricians chosen to serve alongside the elected members of the governing councils of the Republic. [1] The purpose of this measure was as a constitutional safeguard against the accumulation of power by individuals, and to broaden the decision-making circles on important issues.
The term is the Venetian variant of aggiunta, 'addition'. [2] The purpose of the institution was to prevent corruption and autocratic tendencies in the governing councils such as the powerful Council of Ten, [3] but, since its members were typically chosen among patricians who had not been elected to one of these councils, it was also a "'constitutional shortcut' for those noblemen who wished to actively participate in the Venetian oligarchy but had not achieved the necessary backing". [2] Zontas existed for the Council of Ten—originally 20 men, after 1529 reduced to 15, but the number could vary; [2] the Venetian Senate, where a zonta of 60 adjuncts was added to the 60 regularly elected senators, nominated by senators whose terms were coming to a close; [4] [5] as well as extraordinary commissions of inquiry, such as the one convened to investigate the Faliero coup in 1355. [6]