Archduchy of Verdura
Archduchy of Verdura | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Coat of arms
| |
| Capital | Whitestone |
| Official languages | English, Italian |
| Demonym(s) | Verduran |
| Government | |
• Archduchess | Archduchess Priscilla |
| Establishment | 19 August 2020 |
| Population | |
• Census | 12 |
The Archduchy of Verdura is a nation-state within the Empire of Agber that was founded on 19 August 2020, in conjunction with Empress Arlene relocating to Indiana. She is working closely with her niece, Priscilla, to further develop the fledgling nation. Verduran culture is based on Mediterranean Italy, namely the Kingdom of Sicily.
History
Empress Arlene of Agber relocated to Indiana to earn her medical degree in 2020. This move put her living in the same town as family, which led to her niece, Priscilla, becoming more interested in the Empire. Eventually, a plan to create a new nation was created, leading to the declaration of the Archduchy of Verdura on 19 August of that year.
Government
Verdura is ruled by either an Archduchess or Archduke. Verdura is unique in that there are no plans for it to have provinces. Instead, Archduchess Priscilla will appoint citizens to administrative roles based on merit, as needed. Empress Arlene currently serves as the heir to the Verduran Marble Throne
Ligurian Colony
Duchy of Liguria | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Flag | |||
| Capital | Michaelangelo | ||
| Official languages | English, Italian | ||
| Demonym(s) | Ligurian | ||
| Government | |||
• Administrator | Duke Gilbert | ||
| Establishment | 10 November 2020 | ||
| Population | |||
• Census | 7 | ||
The Archduchy currently has one colony: the Duchy of Liguria, which was originally founded as the Grand Duchy of Liguria on 10 November 2020. Liguria was the first success from the Call to Sovereignty initiative. Its founder, Grand Duke Gilbert, was the first ruler of what was then the Enclave de Cordova. Although he stepped down shortly after his cousin, the Empress, joined the Air Force, he remained involved in Agberian affairs, as a whole. Although initially planned to be a unique endeavor, plans were changed after the announcement of the Archduchy of Verdura, which had a similar identity to what was proposed for Liguria. It was the first nation in the empire planned to be a sister project to an existing nation. In order to further differentiate itself, Liguria had a strong focus on the arts as a part of its culture, which was built around a Northern Italian identity (specifically the Kingdom of Tuscany). It was formed out of land from the California area of the western United States.
Liguria had three provinces: Bellini, Raffaello, and Tiziano. The nation had three orders of chivalry, each focusing on a different aspect of the arts, and with a single rank and different regalia intended to form a full set when worn together. These orders were: the Order of Saint Genesius, recognizing the performing arts (acting, dancing, and music), which was represented by a sash and cordon; the Order of Saint Catherine, recognizing the visual arts (painting, drawing, and sculpting), which was represented by a medal worn from a necklet; and the Order of Saint Lucia, recognizing the written arts (poetry and other creative writing), which was denoted by the wear of a breast star. These three separate orders would be combined into a single concept when Liguria became a Verduran colony as the Order of the Three Saints.
The Grand Duchy was absorbed into the Archduchy of Verdura on 28 February 2021 as a colony, with its status being reduced to that of a Duchy. When it became a colony, Gilbert stayed on as the colonial administrator, albeit with a reduced noble title of Duke.
Orders of Chivalry of the Archduchy of Verdura
While the Empire of Agber as a whole has roughly twenty separate orders of chivalry, there are only five officially considered of concern to Verdura. The two orders of the Empire, the Order of the Empire of Agber and the Order of Arlene I, both supersede the three orders of the Archduchy. The current Font of Honor for these Verduran orders is Archduchess Priscilla.
| Order Name | Established | Classes/Ranks | Awarded For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obsidian Order | 22 August 2020 | Master Journeyman Apprentice Novice |
Service to the Archduchy | |
| Blessed Order of St. George | September 2020 | Grand Cross Commander Dame/Knight |
Service to the Archduchy | |
| Artistic Order of the Three Saints | 5 March 2021 | Dame/Knight Catherine (for visual arts, necklet medal regalia) Dame/Knight Genesius (for performing arts, sash and cordon regalia) Dame/Knight Lucia (for written arts, breast star regalia) |
Artistic accomplishment | Established by the combining of the Orders of Saint Genesius, Saint Catherine, and Saint Lucia All three categories are of equal precedence |