Signoria

 ( Italian Renaissance ) 

Contemporary observers and modern historians see the rise of the signoria as a reaction to the failure of the comuni to maintain law-and-order and suppress party strife and civil discord. In the anarchic conditions that often prevailed in medieval Italian city-states, people looked to strong men to restore order and disarm the feuding elites.

In times of anarchy or crisis, cities sometimes offered the signoria to individuals perceived as strong enough to save the state. For example, the Tuscany state of Pisa offered the signoria to Charles VIII of France in the hope that he would protect the independence of Pisa from its long term enemy Florence. Similarly, Siena offered the signoria to Cesare Borgia.

Initially, some cities dismantled lordships once conflicts subsided. However, when a ruler maintained power across multiple wars, the likelihood of their continued rule increased. The hereditary transmission of power, as seen in 1264 when Azzo d'Este passed his position to his nephew Obizzo, contributed to the normalization of one-man rule. This precedent encouraged similar developments in other cities, solidifying the institutionalization of lordship in northern and central Italy.

In areas that were not under the rule of a prince, the name Signoria often refers to the ruling body of magistrates. In Florence, those who made up the signoria were often members of the most distinguished families.

• Seignory
• Signoria of Florence
• Signoria of Venice
• Forni della Signoria