Simone Boccanegra

Simone Boccanegra
1st Lifetime Doge of the Republic of Genoa
In office 24 September 1339 – 23 December 1344
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Giovanni I di Murta
In office 15 November 1356 – 3 March 1363
Preceded by	Position temporarily vacant
Succeeded by	Gabriele Adorno
Personal details
Died	Genoa, Liguria, Italy
Political party	Popolani Ghibelline

Popolani

Simone Boccanegra (Ligurian: Scimon Boccaneigra, Italian: Simone Boccanegra; died 1363) was the first Doge of Genoa. He became doge in 1339, but was ousted from power six years later. He regained the position in 1356, retaining it until his death in 1363.

His story was popularized by Antonio García Gutiérrez's 1843 play Simón Bocanegra and Giuseppe Verdi's 1857 opera Simon Boccanegra. Note the spellings.

Boccanegra was elected doge for life on September 24, 1339, as the candidate of the "popular" Ghibelline faction. Boccanegra was opposed by the aristocratic Guelf faction, representing the old mercantile patriciate, which his first actions excluded from public life. With the old patriciate excluded from power, a new class of mercantile houses arose: Adorno, Guarco, Fregoso, and Montaldo.

During Boccanegra's dogate, Genoese control was extended the length of both the French and Italian Rivieras, with the exception of the Grimaldi holdings in Monaco and Ventimiglia, and Genoese galleys went to the aid of Alfonso XI of Castile in his struggles against the Saracens.

There were constant conspiracies and attempts against Boccanegra's life from the outset. (The first conspirator's head rolled on December 20, 1339.) This led to the establishment of a bodyguard of 103 mounted soldiers. For Boccanegra's security these were drawn from Pisa, the inveterate enemy of Genoa, where, however, Simone's brother Niccolò was "captain of the people", their mother having been a Pisan aristocrat.

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