Zonta (Republic of Venice)

{{Short description|Institution in the Republic of Venice}}

In the Republic of Venice, a zonta was an extraordinary group of patricians chosen to serve alongside the elected members of the governing councils of the Republic.{{sfn|Contarini|2020|p=xlv}} The purpose of this measure was as a constitutional safeguard against the accumulation of power by individuals, and to broaden the decision-making circles on important issues.

The term is the Venetian variant of {{lang|it|aggiunta}}, 'addition'.{{sfn|Iordanou|2019|p=13}} The purpose of the institution was to prevent corruption and autocratic tendencies in the governing councils such as the powerful Council of Ten,{{sfn|Iordanou|2019|pp=12–13}} but, since its members were typically chosen among patricians who had not been elected to one of these councils, it was also a "'constitutional shortcut' for those noblemen who wished to actively participate in the Venetian oligarchy but had not achieved the necessary backing".{{sfn|Iordanou|2019|p=13}} Zontas existed for the Council of Ten—originally 20 men, after 1529 reduced to 15, but the number could vary;{{sfn|Iordanou|2019|p=13}} the Venetian Senate, where a zonta of 60 adjuncts was added to the 60 regularly elected senators, nominated by senators whose terms were coming to a close;{{sfn|Contarini|2020|pp=xlv, 53}}{{sfn|Lane|1973|p=254}} as well as extraordinary commissions of inquiry, such as the one convened to investigate the Faliero coup in 1355.{{sfn|Lane|1973|p=182}}