The governatore dei condannati ("commander of the convicts") was a senior commander of the navy of the Republic of Venice. The post initially headed the galley squadron manned by convicts and captives rather than free crewmen.[1]
Convicts (condannati) and Muslim captives began to be employed as rowers in the Venetian navy c. 1542,[2] when the first institutions to administer them are also attested. The post of governatore dei condannati was also created at this time.[1] The use of convicts to row the galleys increased over time, except for the flagships and the galeasses.[2] Finally, as the number of galleys in the Venetian fleet diminished in favour of sailing ships of the line, after 1721 all Venetian galleys were exclusively manned by convicts.[3]
Like all squadron commanders of the rowed fleet (armata sottile)—the Provveditore d'Armata, the Capitano delle galeazze, and the Capitano in Golfo—he hoisted his ensign on a bastard galley, with striped red-and-white sails and tents. As his distinctive signs, the flagship of the governatore dei condannati carried a single lantern and the standard of Saint Mark on a plain-topped staff aft, and on the foremast a square ensign of Saint Mark with an egg-shaped tail.[4]
His staff included a chancellor (cancelliere) or a secretary nominated by the Council of Ten, an adjutant (ammiraglio),[a] a quartermaster (sopramasser), and a standard-bearer.[6] For his personal service he had a head of household (maestro di casa), a steward (scalco), a cook (cuoco), a wine steward (canever), and two orderlies (fanti di pizzuol).[7] In addition he had at his disposal a boat (felucca) with twelve boatsmen (caiccheri) and a rowed frigate with a captain (padrone), two steersmen (timonieri), two artillerymen (bombardieri) and 18 rowers (galeotti).[7]
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