podesta
Americannoun
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any of certain magistrates in Italy, as a chief magistrate in medieval towns and republics.
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a person appointed to serve as mayor of an Italian city during the Fascist regime.
noun
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(in modern Italy) a subordinate magistrate in some towns
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(in Fascist Italy) the chief magistrate of a commune
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any of the governors of the Lombard cities appointed by Frederick Barbarossa
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a chief magistrate in any of various republics, such as Florence
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Etymology
Origin of podesta
1540–50; < Italian podestà power < Latin potestās power, command
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
By this thorough confidence he so won the affection of the podesta of Verona that he concluded peace for him with Vicenza and the whole Guelf party, and then returned his castles to him.
From The Browning Cyclop?dia A Guide to the Study of the Works of Robert Browning by Edward Berdoe
They might wonder when he had returned to Orvieto from Perugia, but they would have to suppose it was after the podesta took the clerks away from the gates.
From The Saracen: The Holy War by Robert Shea
"But the Filippeschi deny any knowledge of him, and the podesta, it seems, has not the power to make them answer our questions."
From The Saracen: The Holy War by Robert Shea
No more delaying by talking to the podesta.
From The Saracen: The Holy War by Robert Shea
The podesta squinted at Daoud, as if to see how serious his question was.
From The Saracen: The Holy War by Robert Shea
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
