Editing Podestà (section)

==Outside the Italian city-states==
The example of Italy in the matter of {{lang|it|podestà}} was sometimes followed by cities and republics in [[Northern Europe]] in the Middle Ages, notably by such as had trade relations with Italy. The officers elected sometimes bore the title of {{lang|it|podestà}} or {{lang|it|podestat}}. Thus in [[East Frisia]], there were {{lang|it|podestà}} identical in name and functions to those of the Italian republics; sometimes each province had one, and sometimes the federal diet elected a {{lang|it|podestà}}-general for the whole country, the term of office being for a limited period or for life.<ref>J.L. Motley, ''Dutch Republic'', ed. 1903, vol. i. 44.</ref>

===Frisian ''potestaat''===
{{Main|Potestaat of Friesland}}
{{Unreferenced section|date=April 2023}}
The concept of a local man empowered to represent the Holy Roman Emperor was also a feature of medieval [[Frisia]]. From apocryphal beginnings, important rights were granted or confirmed under the code of law known as the ''[[Lex Frisionum]]''. According to later tradition, it was [[Charlemagne]] who granted the Frisians the title of freemen and permitted them to choose their own {{lang|it|podestat}} or imperial governor from among the chieftains, to organize and lead the defense of two of the three districts of Frisia, in [[Frisia|Middle Frisia]], from the [[Flie]] to the [[Lauwers]] and in [[East Frisia]] from the Lauwers to the [[Weser]], later the Countship of [[East Frisia|Ostfriesland]].

The Italians probably became aware of the Frisian Potestaat, in Dutch "op poten staan" in English 'on legs standing', like for instance king Henry on his painting (Dutch: {{lang|it|potestaat}}; German: {{lang|it|Potestat}}; English: {{lang|it|potestate}}) during the [[Sixth Crusade]] in 1228. According to privileges that were falsely ascribed to the [[Carolingian dynasty|Carolingian]] era, the {{lang|it|potestate}} was chosen by council and he must be able to slay knights. Apocryphal historical writings mention the potestate as early as the [[Viking Age]].

The only {{lang|it|potestates}} chosen to lead [[Friesland]] between the [[Vlie]] and [[Lauwers]] were [[Juw Juwinga]] (1396) and [[Juw Dekama|Juw Dekema]] (1494), both were chosen by the [[Vetkopers and Schieringers|Schieringers]]. However, in 1399 the districts of [[Westergoa|Westergo]] and [[Eastergoa|Oostergo]] elected potestates, [[Haring Harinxma]] and [[Sjoerd Wiarda]] respectively, in the struggle against the count of Holland. The title became well known outside of Friesland only with the installation of [[Albert III, Duke of Saxony|Albrecht of Saxony]] as {{lang|it|hereditary potestate}} in 1498; the Frisians chose [[Jancko Douwama]] as their imperial [[stadtholder]] (1522).