Editing Podestà (section)

===Fascist era===
The [[Italian fascism|Fascist regime]] created its own version of the {{lang|it|podestà}} figure. In February 1926, [[Benito Mussolini|Mussolini's Senate]] issued a decree which abolished the autonomous powers and functions of {{lang|it|[[comune|comuni]]}} (municipalities), including elected town councils and [[mayor]]s. Instead, all {{lang|it|comuni}}, except for [[Rome]], were to be headed by a {{lang|it|podestà}}, an [[authoritarianism|authoritarian]] mayor with full executive and legislative powers. He was appointed by [[royal charter]] (in practice, by the [[National Fascist Party]]) for a renewable five-year term (which could be revoked at any time with immediate effect). In Rome, a [[Mayor of Rome#List of Mayors of Rome|governor]] was appointed to head the local government. In larger communes, the {{lang|it|podestà}} was assisted by one or two {{lang|it|vice-podestà}} nominated by the [[Ministry of the Interior (Italy)|Ministry of Interior]], in addition to a board of advisors ({{lang|it|consulta municipale}})<ref name=Born1927>{{cite journal|last=Born|first=Lester K.|title=What is the Podestà?|journal=[[The American Political Science Review]]|date=November 1927|volume=21|issue=4|pages=869–870|doi=10.2307/1947600 |jstor=1947600|s2cid=147505046 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1947600 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> nominated either by the local [[Prefect#Modern sub-national administration|prefect]] or, in the major cities, by the Ministry of Interior.

The decree was in effect from 21 April 1927 until 1945,<ref name=Born1927/> when the entire system was abandoned with the return to democracy.