Lords of the Night (Venice)

The Lords of the Night (Italian: Signori della/di Notte) were magistrates in the Republic of Venice that operated in special courts.

The Criminal Lords of the Night

The criminal Lords of the Night are mentioned as early as the 12th century, first as two, and later as six

Civil Lords of the Night

By the end of 1544, the Civil Lords of the Night (Signori della Notte al Civìl) were created with part of their duties transferred from the criminal system, including enforcement of foreign sentences, sales of pledges, exile of criminals and the unwanted. They acted as a substitute for courts that did not operate on public holidays.

References

• Chambers, David Sanderson; Fletcher, Jennifer; Pullan, Brian, eds. (2001). Venice: A Documentary History, 1450-1630. University of Toronto Press.
  ISBN 978-0-802084248
  .
• Nani Mocenigo, Filippo (1877). Capitolare dei signori di notte (in Italian). Venezia: Tipografia del tempo.