Simone Boccanegra

Simone Boccanegra (c. 1301–1363) was a merchant with no political career until 1339, when the people of Genoa, tired of the Ghibelline captains, acclaimed him first doge for life on 23 December. The city's finances were exhausted and its Riviera lands in rebel hands; he shut the aristocratic factions out of power and brought the Rivieras back under Genoese control.

In 1341 he renewed peace with Pisa. Constant conspiracies forced him to resign in December 1345, and Genoa submitted to the Visconti of Milan.

When the city rose against them on 14 November 1356 he returned from exile, rallied the commoners at San Siro and was restored as doge. He died suddenly in March 1363, the day after a banquet for Peter I of Cyprus, amid rumours of poison; Gabriele Adorno replaced him.