FLORENCE
FLORENCE
FLORENCE
• FOUNDED BY ROMANS ON
ARNO RIVER IN TUSCANY
• ECONOMY BASED ON
AGRICULTURE AND TRADE ESPECIALLY CLOTH
• POPULATION = 90,000. FIFTH
LARGEST IN EUROPE
MILAN
VENICE
FLORENCE
ROME
GEOGRAPHY & DAILY LIFE
• DIVIDED INTO DISTRICTS
• SOCIAL CLASSES LIVED SIDE
BY SIDE
• “NATURE’S CLOCK” REGULATED
DAILY ROUTINE
MAJOR MONUMENTS
• PALAZZO DELLA SIGNORIA
OR PALAZZO VECCHIO, 12981310
• PONTE VECCHIO (BRIDGE),
1333-1345
• DUOMO (S. MARIA DEL
FIORE), 1290- 1436
• FOUNDLING HOSPITAL, 1419
• SAN LORENZO, 1440’S
• PRIVATE PALACES:
RUCELLAI, STROZZI, PITTI,
MEDICI
ECONOMY
• ONE THIRD OF POPULATION
DEPENDED ON WOOLEN
INDUSTRY
• 1,200,00 FLORINS ANNUALLY
• LANA & CALIMALA GUILDS
• CAMBIO = BANKING GUILD.
• BECAME BANKERS TO POPES.
• BARDI, PERUZZI, &
FRESCOBALDI FIRMS
OPERATED THROUGHOUT
EUROPE
FLORENTINE REPUBLIC
• ONLY MEMBERS OF 21 GUILDS
WERE ELIGIBLE FOR OFFICE (5 6OOO)
• ORDINANCES OF JUSTICE, 1293
BARRED NOBLES (GRANDI)
FROM OFFICE
• WORKERS FORBIDDEN TO
HAVE GUILDS. NO POLITICAL
RIGHTS.
FLORENTINE REPUBLIC
• WORKERS’ FRUSTRATION LED
TO CIOMPI REVOLT, JUNE 1378
• LOCK OUT RETURNED CITY TO
STATUS QUO
SIGNORIA OR COLLEGE OF
PRIORS
• DOMESTIC & FOREIGN POLICY
• INITIATED LEGISLATION
• TWO MONTH TERM : LIVED IN
PALAZZO DELLA SIGNORIA
• ADVISED BY THE “TWELVE” AND
THE “SIXTEEN”
• APPOINTED LOWER OFFICIALS
• SHORT TERMS LESSENED
BURDEN OF OFFICE
• BUT HAMPERED CONTINUITY
• TO DEAL WITH DRAWBACK:
• SOME PERMANENT CIVIL
SERVANTS
• REQUESTED ADVICE OF
RESPECTED FLORENTINE
CITIZENS
• APPOINTED SPECIAL
COMMITTEES TO DEAL WITH
LONG TERM TASKS
SIGNORIA INITIATED LAWS
• TWO LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLIES
VOTED ON SIGNORIA’S
LEGISLATION
• COUNCIL OF THE PEOPLE
(POPOLO)
• COUNCIL OF THE COMMUNE
• TOTALED 500 MEMBERS
FLORENTINE REPUBLIC
SIGNORIA
COUNCIL OF
PEOPLE
COUNCIL OF
COMMUNE
POWER IN THE REPUBLIC
• “OLD FAMILIES” LIKE ALBIZZI
VERSUS “NEW FAMILIES”
• MERCHANT ARISTOCRATS
• OLIGARCHY ?
• INCLUDED MINOR GUILDS, BUT
SYSTEM INSURED “BEST
PEOPLE” WERE ELECTED
FLORENTINE TAX SYSTEM
• GABELLE = TAX ON WINE &
SALT
• LOANS
• MONTE DELLA DOTTE = DOWRY
FUND
• AFTER 1427, CATASTO = TAX
ON WEALTH
FACTIONS
• POLITICAL & ECONOMIC
• FAMILY FACTIONS
• 1430’S TWO POLITICAL
“PARTIES”: ALBIZZI & MEDICI
• OLD VERSUS NEW FAMILIES,
BUT TIES WITHIN EACH
PERSONAL
TRIUMPH OF MEDICI
• COSIMO DE’ MEDICI HEADED
LARGEST BANK IN EUROPE
• COSIMO’S POLITICAL SKILL:
LOANS, PUBLIC BUILDINGS
• MANIPULATED ELECTORAL
SYSTEM TO FILL KEY OFFICES
• EXILED MOST DANGEROUS
COSIMO DE MEDICI
• AVOIDED PUBLIC OFFICE
• JUST AN “ORDINARY CITIZEN”
MEDICI REGIME
1434-1494
• CO-OP OF A GROUP OF
FAMILIES
• COSIMO, PIERO, & LORENZO
DE MEDICI
• DIRECT SELECTION OF
SIGNORIA
• FICTION THAT REPUBLIC LIVED
• MOST SAW STABILITY
PAZZI CONSPIRACY
• FAMILY RIVALRY
• LORENZO VS. SIXTUS IV
• PLOT TO ASSASSINATE LORENZO
INVOLVING PAZZI & POPE
• GIULIANO KILLED. LORENZO
WOUNDED
• SUPPORT FOR MEDICI STRONGER
GOLDEN AGE OF MEDICI
• FLORENCE AT PEACE AS
RESULT OF LORENZO’S
SHIFTING OF ALLIANCES
• PATRONAGE OF THE ARTS:
DONATELLO & MICHELANGELO
• AGE OF MEDICI ALSO AGE OF
FRA ANGELICO, ALBERTI,
FILIPPO LIPPI, UCCELLO, AND
LEONARDO DA VINCI
REVIVAL OF REPUBLIC
• PIERO DE MEDICI
OVERTHROWN IN 1494
• REPUBLIC RESTORED WITH
MORE REPRESENTATIVE GREAT
COUNCIL
• NEW CIVIC PRIDE EMBODIED IN
COMMISSIONS TO LEONARDO
DA VINCI & MICHELANGELO:
DAVID
RETURN OF THE MEDICI
• 1512, SPANISH ARMY ALLIED
WITH PAPACY RESTORED
MEDICI RULE
• 1513, MEDICI POPE: LEO X
• 1532, SIGNORIA ABOLISHED
AND MEDICI = DUKES OF
FLORENCE