What powers did the Great Council hold in the Venetian Republic?

In the Venetian Republic, the Great Council served as the body in which sovereignty resided. Following the constitutional shifts that began in 1297, it functioned as the central authority from which all other government power derived.1

The Great Council held the following primary powers:

• Electoral Authority: It was responsible for electing the doge through an elaborate system of lot, as well as appointing members to the Senate, the Lesser Council, the Quarantia (judiciary), the Council of Ten, and all other government committees.1
• Legislative and Oversight Role: As the supreme governing body, it maintained control over the state's political structure. Even the doge, despite his prestige, was increasingly bound by the council's authority; he was required to submit his initiatives to the Great Council and the Senate for approval.1
• Constitutional Governance: The council acted as the foundation of the oligarchic government that characterized Venice, eventually becoming a closed body dominated by a hereditary patrician caste.1

Would you like to know more about how the Council of Ten functioned alongside the Great Council?