FLORENCEFLORENCE

FLORENCEFLORENCE

FLORENCEFLORENCE• FOUNDED BY ROMANS ON FOUNDED BY ROMANS ON

ARNO RIVER IN ARNO RIVER IN TUSCANYTUSCANY• ECONOMY BASED ON ECONOMY BASED ON

AGRICULTURE AND TRADE - AGRICULTURE AND TRADE - ESPECIALLY ESPECIALLY CLOTHCLOTH

• POPULATION = 90,000. FIFTH POPULATION = 90,000. FIFTH LARGEST IN EUROPELARGEST IN EUROPE

MILANMILAN

FLORENCEFLORENCE

ROMEROME

VENICE

GEOGRAPHY & DAILY LIFEGEOGRAPHY & DAILY LIFE• DIVIDED INTO DISTRICTSDIVIDED INTO DISTRICTS• SOCIAL CLASSES LIVED SIDE SOCIAL CLASSES LIVED SIDE

BY SIDEBY SIDE• ““NATURE’S CLOCK” NATURE’S CLOCK”

REGULATED DAILY ROUTINEREGULATED DAILY ROUTINE

MAJOR MONUMENTSMAJOR MONUMENTS•PALAZZO DELLA SIGNORIA PALAZZO DELLA SIGNORIA

OR PALAZZO VECCHIO, OR PALAZZO VECCHIO, 1298-13101298-1310

•PONTE VECCHIO (BRIDGE), PONTE VECCHIO (BRIDGE), 1333-13451333-1345

•DUOMO (S. MARIA DEL DUOMO (S. MARIA DEL FIORE), 1290- 1436FIORE), 1290- 1436

•FOUNDLING HOSPITAL, FOUNDLING HOSPITAL, 14191419

•SAN LORENZO, 1440’SSAN LORENZO, 1440’S•PRIVATE PALACES: PRIVATE PALACES:

RUCELLAI, STROZZI, PITTI, RUCELLAI, STROZZI, PITTI, MEDICIMEDICI

ECONOMYECONOMY• ONE THIRD OF POPULATION ONE THIRD OF POPULATION

DEPENDED ON WOOLEN DEPENDED ON WOOLEN INDUSTRYINDUSTRY

• 1,200,00 FLORINS ANNUALLY1,200,00 FLORINS ANNUALLY• LANALANA & & CALIMALACALIMALA GUILDS GUILDS

• CAMBIOCAMBIO = BANKING GUILD. = BANKING GUILD. • BECAME BANKERS TO POPES. BECAME BANKERS TO POPES. • BARDI, PERUZZI, & BARDI, PERUZZI, &

FRESCOBALDI FIRMS FRESCOBALDI FIRMS OPERATED THROUGHOUT OPERATED THROUGHOUT EUROPEEUROPE

FLORENTINE REPUBLICFLORENTINE REPUBLIC• ONLY MEMBERS OF 21 GUILDS ONLY MEMBERS OF 21 GUILDS

WERE ELIGIBLE FOR OFFICE (5 WERE ELIGIBLE FOR OFFICE (5 - 6OOO)- 6OOO)

• ORDINANCES OF JUSTICE, 1293 ORDINANCES OF JUSTICE, 1293 BARRED NOBLES (BARRED NOBLES (GRANDIGRANDI) ) FROM OFFICEFROM OFFICE

• WORKERS FORBIDDEN TO WORKERS FORBIDDEN TO HAVE GUILDS. NO POLITICAL HAVE GUILDS. NO POLITICAL RIGHTS.RIGHTS.

FLORENTINE REPUBLICFLORENTINE REPUBLIC• WORKERS’ FRUSTRATION LED WORKERS’ FRUSTRATION LED

TO TO CIOMPI REVOLTCIOMPI REVOLT, JUNE 1378, JUNE 1378• LOCK OUT RETURNED CITY TO LOCK OUT RETURNED CITY TO

STATUS QUOSTATUS QUO

SIGNORIA OR COLLEGE OF SIGNORIA OR COLLEGE OF PRIORSPRIORS

• DOMESTIC & FOREIGN POLICYDOMESTIC & FOREIGN POLICY• INITIATED LEGISLATIONINITIATED LEGISLATION• TWO MONTH TERM : LIVED IN TWO MONTH TERM : LIVED IN

PALAZZO DELLA SIGNORIAPALAZZO DELLA SIGNORIA• ADVISED BY THE “TWELVE” ADVISED BY THE “TWELVE”

AND THE “SIXTEEN”AND THE “SIXTEEN”

• APPOINTED LOWER OFFICIALSAPPOINTED LOWER OFFICIALS• SHORT TERMS LESSENED SHORT TERMS LESSENED

BURDEN OF OFFICE BURDEN OF OFFICE • BUT HAMPERED CONTINUITYBUT HAMPERED CONTINUITY• TO DEAL WITH DRAWBACK:TO DEAL WITH DRAWBACK:• SOME PERMANENT CIVIL SOME PERMANENT CIVIL

SERVANTSSERVANTS

• REQUESTED ADVICE OF REQUESTED ADVICE OF RESPECTED FLORENTINE RESPECTED FLORENTINE CITIZENSCITIZENS

• APPOINTED SPECIAL APPOINTED SPECIAL COMMITTEES TO DEAL WITH COMMITTEES TO DEAL WITH LONG TERM TASKSLONG TERM TASKS

SIGNORIA INITIATED SIGNORIA INITIATED LAWSLAWS

• TWO LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLIES TWO LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLIES VOTED ON SIGNORIA’S VOTED ON SIGNORIA’S LEGISLATIONLEGISLATION

• COUNCIL OF THE PEOPLE COUNCIL OF THE PEOPLE (POPOLO)(POPOLO)

• COUNCIL OF THE COMMUNECOUNCIL OF THE COMMUNE• TOTALED 500 MEMBERSTOTALED 500 MEMBERS

FLORENTINE REPUBLICFLORENTINE REPUBLIC

SIGNORIA

COUNCIL OF PEOPLE

COUNCIL OF COMMUNE

POWER IN THE REPUBLICPOWER IN THE REPUBLIC• ““OLD FAMILIES” LIKE ALBIZZI OLD FAMILIES” LIKE ALBIZZI

VERSUS “NEW FAMILIES”VERSUS “NEW FAMILIES”• MERCHANT ARISTOCRATS MERCHANT ARISTOCRATS • OLIGARCHY ? OLIGARCHY ? • INCLUDED MINOR GUILDS, BUT INCLUDED MINOR GUILDS, BUT

SYSTEM INSURED “BEST SYSTEM INSURED “BEST PEOPLE” WERE ELECTED PEOPLE” WERE ELECTED

FLORENTINE TAX SYSTEMFLORENTINE TAX SYSTEM• GABELLEGABELLE = TAX ON WINE & = TAX ON WINE &

SALTSALT• LOANSLOANS• MONTE DELLA DOTTEMONTE DELLA DOTTE = DOWRY = DOWRY

FUNDFUND• AFTER 1427, AFTER 1427, CATASTOCATASTO = TAX = TAX

ON WEALTHON WEALTH

FACTIONSFACTIONS• POLITICAL & ECONOMICPOLITICAL & ECONOMIC• FAMILY FACTIONSFAMILY FACTIONS• 1430’S TWO POLITICAL 1430’S TWO POLITICAL

“PARTIES”: ALBIZZI & MEDICI“PARTIES”: ALBIZZI & MEDICI• OLD VERSUS NEW FAMILIES, OLD VERSUS NEW FAMILIES,

BUT TIES WITHIN EACH BUT TIES WITHIN EACH PERSONALPERSONAL

TRIUMPH OF MEDICITRIUMPH OF MEDICI• COSIMO DE’ MEDICI HEADED COSIMO DE’ MEDICI HEADED

LARGEST BANK IN EUROPELARGEST BANK IN EUROPE• COSIMO’S POLITICAL SKILL: COSIMO’S POLITICAL SKILL:

LOANS, PUBLIC BUILDINGSLOANS, PUBLIC BUILDINGS• MANIPULATED ELECTORAL MANIPULATED ELECTORAL

SYSTEM TO FILL KEY OFFICES SYSTEM TO FILL KEY OFFICES • EXILED MOST DANGEROUS EXILED MOST DANGEROUS

COSIMO DE MEDICICOSIMO DE MEDICI• AVOIDED PUBLIC OFFICEAVOIDED PUBLIC OFFICE• JUST AN “ORDINARY CITIZEN”JUST AN “ORDINARY CITIZEN”

MEDICI REGIMEMEDICI REGIME 1434-1494 1434-1494

• CO-OP OF A GROUP OF CO-OP OF A GROUP OF FAMILIES FAMILIES

• COSIMO, PIERO, & LORENZO COSIMO, PIERO, & LORENZO DE MEDICIDE MEDICI

• DIRECT SELECTION OF DIRECT SELECTION OF SIGNORIASIGNORIA

• FICTION THAT REPUBLIC LIVEDFICTION THAT REPUBLIC LIVED• MOST SAW STABILITYMOST SAW STABILITY

PAZZI CONSPIRACYPAZZI CONSPIRACY• FAMILY RIVALRYFAMILY RIVALRY• LORENZO VS. SIXTUS IVLORENZO VS. SIXTUS IV• PLOT TO ASSASSINATE LORENZO PLOT TO ASSASSINATE LORENZO

INVOLVING PAZZI & POPEINVOLVING PAZZI & POPE• GIULIANO KILLED. LORENZO GIULIANO KILLED. LORENZO

WOUNDEDWOUNDED• SUPPORT FOR MEDICI STRONGER SUPPORT FOR MEDICI STRONGER

GOLDEN AGE OF MEDICIGOLDEN AGE OF MEDICI• FLORENCE AT PEACE AS FLORENCE AT PEACE AS

RESULT OF LORENZO’S RESULT OF LORENZO’S SHIFTING OF ALLIANCESSHIFTING OF ALLIANCES

• PATRONAGE OF THE ARTS: PATRONAGE OF THE ARTS: DONATELLO & MICHELANGELODONATELLO & MICHELANGELO

• AGE OF MEDICI ALSO AGE OF AGE OF MEDICI ALSO AGE OF FRA ANGELICO, ALBERTI, FRA ANGELICO, ALBERTI, FILIPPO LIPPI, UCCELLO, AND FILIPPO LIPPI, UCCELLO, AND LEONARDO DA VINCILEONARDO DA VINCI

REVIVAL OF REPUBLICREVIVAL OF REPUBLIC• PIERO DE MEDICI PIERO DE MEDICI

OVERTHROWN IN 1494OVERTHROWN IN 1494• REPUBLIC RESTORED WITH REPUBLIC RESTORED WITH

MORE REPRESENTATIVE GREAT MORE REPRESENTATIVE GREAT COUNCILCOUNCIL

• NEW CIVIC PRIDE EMBODIED IN NEW CIVIC PRIDE EMBODIED IN COMMISSIONS TO LEONARDO COMMISSIONS TO LEONARDO DA VINCI & MICHELANGELO: DA VINCI & MICHELANGELO: DAVIDDAVID

RETURN OF THE MEDICIRETURN OF THE MEDICI• 1512, SPANISH ARMY ALLIED 1512, SPANISH ARMY ALLIED

WITH PAPACY RESTORED WITH PAPACY RESTORED MEDICI RULEMEDICI RULE

• 1513, MEDICI POPE: LEO X1513, MEDICI POPE: LEO X• 1532, SIGNORIA ABOLISHED 1532, SIGNORIA ABOLISHED

AND MEDICI = DUKES OF AND MEDICI = DUKES OF FLORENCEFLORENCE