Italian Republic ( Napoleonic ) The Italian Republic ( ) was a short - lived ( 1802 – 1805 ) republic located in Northern Italy . It was a vassal state of the First French Republic of Napoleon . The republic . The Italian Republic was the successor of the Cisalpine Republic , which changed its constitution to allow the French First Consul Napoleon to become its president . The new constitution changed the name of the state to the " Italian Republic " ; it consisted of the same areas that had comprised the Cisalpine Republic , primarily Lombardy and Romagna . The republic had a territory of more than , and a population of 3 , 240 , 000 in 12 " département s " . Milan was the capital city , the main center having 124 , 000 inhabitants in 1764 . The country was prosperous despite the plundering experienced in preceding centuries . Its economy was based on cereal agriculture and cattling , plus flourishing small industries , notably the production of silk . The flag of the Italian Republic maintained the three Italian - Milanese national colours , but with a new , less revolutionary , pattern . The coat of arms was specified in a decree on May 13 , 1802 . A treaty of friendship and commerce with the Republic of San Marino was signed on June 10 , 1802 , the Concordat with the Holy See on September 16 , 1803 . The government created the National Guard of Italy , a National Gendarmerie , and a finance police ; the metric system was introduced and a national currency was planned , although never minted during the republican era . In 1805 , following Bonaparte ' s assumption of the title of Emperor of the French , the Italian Republic was transformed into the Kingdom of Italy ( " Regno d ' Italia " ) , with Napoleon as king and his stepson Eugène de Beauharnais as viceroy . Institutional form . According to the Italian constitution of 1802 , sovereignty resided in three electoral colleges of three to two hundred members : the College of Owners , the College of Scholars , and the College of Traders , the first having its seat in Milan , the second in Bologna , and the third in Brescia . All the colleges elected a commission of control and supreme rule , called the Censorship , composed of twenty - one members and based in Cremona . The head of state was the president of the republic , Napoleon Bonaparte , elected for 10 years . The president had full executive powers , appointed the vice - president and the secretary of state , took legislative and diplomatic initiative , chose the ministers , public agents , ambassadors , and chiefs of the army , summoned the executive councils , and prepared the budget . The vice - president , Francesco Melzi d ' Eril , acted for the president during his absence . Melzi was described as a gentleman , and effectively ruled over the state ' s domestic affairs during the three years of the republic ' s life . Never submitting to Napoleon , Melzi was demoted after the monarchy ' s proclamation in favour of more controllable men ; however , Melzi ' s character ensured him Napoleon ' s deep private respect during all the years of the French empire . Melzi also introduced obligatory conscription to Italy . The Consulta was a commission of eight members led by the president of the republic and in charge of foreign policy . The commissioners were appointed by the Censorship upon nomination by the three colleges : many former members of the Cisalpine Directory entered into office . The Consulta ratified treaties , approved any special decrees concerning state security , and in the event of the death or resignation of the president , appointed the successor . The minister of foreign affairs was chosen from among the commissioners . The Legislative Council was a commission of at least ten members appointed by the president for three years . Its mission was to allow the president to submit legislation , helping him in the elaboration of laws and being present when they were discussed in parliament . The secretary of state was the chief of the public administration . He promulgated the laws , guarded the state ' s seal , and countersigned presidential acts . The first secretary was Diego Guicciardi , soon followed by Pellegrino Nobili and , finally , by Luigi Vaccari . The government comprised seven ministers . The Minister of War was at first Alessandro Trivulzi and then , from 1804 , General Domenico Pino ; Minister of Interior was at first Luigi Villa and then , from 1803 , Daniele Felici ; Minister of Foreign Affairs was Ferdinando Marescalchi ; Minister of Justice and Great Judge was Bonaventura Spannocchi ; Minister of Treasury was Antonio Veneri ; Minister of Finance was Giuseppe Prina ; Minister of Religion was Giovanni Bovara . To draw up its budgets , the government was assisted by a Commissionership for National Accountancy . The parliament of the republic was a legislative body with limited powers . It was composed of 75 members elected in each department by the three colleges . It was summoned by the president of the republic and could only approve or reject a law , the discussion being reserved to a more restricted committee of fifteen speakers . First appointed at the Meetings of Lyon , one third of the parliament had to be renewed every two years . The tribunals were divided into tribunals of first instance , courts of appeal , courts of revision , and a court of cassation . The judges of the first two were appointed by the Consulta , the latter two by the three colleges . Local administration . Following the French system , The state was divided into 12 " départements " . The chief of the department was the prefect , an office created on May 6 , 1802 . The prefect was the state ' s representative in each province , and had two main functions : the first was to implement the administrative decisions of the central government and to control the local authorities , the second was leadership of the police . The local legislative body was the General Council , composed of representatives of the communes . The government appointed the Central Departmental Administration , composed of five or seven members chosen from nominations submitted by the General Council : the Administrations had powers over taxes and public works and , generally , represented local interests . The departments were divided into districts equivalent to the French " arrondissements " . The chief of the district was the vice - prefect , which had powers similar to those of the prefect , but for a smaller area . However , the structure of the districts was not uniform over all the territory of the republic , and some districts were administered by a district council and a chancellor . The districts were divided into " communes " . Communes with more than 3 , 000 inhabitants had a city council ( " Consiglio Comunale " ) of thirty or forty members , chosen by the general council from nominations submitted by the same city council . In the smaller communes , all the taxable citizens were councillors . The council elected a municipality of three to nine members , helped in its executive functions by a city secretary . All city offices were held only by owners and traders , and the leadership of the owners was assured . Each commune had a tax collector .