Signoria

Overview

The Signoria is similar in structure and function to the previous body used by the Republic, the Senate. The Crowned Republic uses a Signoria as its main representative body in addition to the informal popular assembly of the Arengo, elected body of the Collegi, appointed body of Ministers and Nobles of the Curia, and the artisan assembly of the Priori. Each body may meet separately, but generally meet as a total legislative body as the Signoria.

Structure

The Signoria consists of the heads of the Ministries, all of the Priors, elected Senators, landed Nobilitas and unlanded nobles and the Doge or Duke. The body consists of two Houses, the elected officials of the Priors and the Senators and the appointed counselors of the ministers and nobility. The Signoria is ceremoniously chaired by the Doge/Duke and generally chaired by the Prime Minister meaning that when the Doge is present, it is chaired by them and when they are not present it falls to the Prime Minister.

The discussion of the Signoria consists of both the elected officials and the appointed counselors, but the voting is done by the elected officials with the Prime Minister voting in the event of a tie.

Each city may host its own Signoria, but only the Capital City may host a national Signoria. Each County hosts a main city known as a County Seat and may host a minor Signoria that only affects the operations of the County for which it oversees. Each village within that county may host its own Arengo that can submit resolutions as it wishes in the event that the local lord allows for an arengo to assemble and does not defer to the county's Arengo.

Purpose

The Signoria exists to determine matters of statecraft and civil affairs. The Doge maintains the ability to outright veto legislation and has delegated that right to the Prime Minister. The Doge maintains the ability to exercise an absolute veto. The reason for this is in order to maintain control and stability of the community in the highly competitive and often times overboard metagaming associated with conquest PvP sandbox games in which this system is generally applied. What tends to happen most of the time is that a compromise or elements of the legislation will be implemented after meeting with the Signoria to develop a plan.