May 12th is the anniversary of the fall of the Republic of Venice in 1797, which in many ways was a quite unique event.
The Republic of Venice never had an actual formal constitution, much less a written constitution. Neither did it have any kind of foundational event.
“Doge” from the Lessico Veneto (1851) by Fabio Mutinelli, translated by René Seindal.
The Venetian state was always an ad hoc construct, and institutions came and went at the convenience of the ruling elite.
“Consiglio dei Dieci” from the L’Archivio di Stato di Venezia: indice generale, storico, descrittivo ed analitico (1937) by Andrea da Mosto
“Dose” from the Dizionario del Dialetto Veneziano by Giuseppe Boerio.
The doge was the elected head of the Venetian Republic. He was elected for life by an arcane process that also included drawing lots.