podesta

Example:While knights pledged loyalty to higher lords, podestats functioned as independent leaders in their own right.

Definition:A member of the lower ranks of the nobility who gave military service, especially in the Middle Ages.

Example:The commoner could not aspire to the esteemed position of podestat, which required noble birth or appointment.

Definition:A member of the general or lower class of people who are not part of the nobility.