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Political Evolution of the City -
States
During the Middle Ages, the Feudal States
of Northern Italy had been absorbed into the
Holy Roman Empire.
But its protracted wars with the papacy had
sapped the empire’s vitality.
Autonomous Political entities
By the end of the twelfth century the city-
states had ceased to be dominated by the
feudal nobility, or landed aristocracy.
The aristocracy and rich merchant had
to share power.
Two groups struggled for power based
on their opposing interests and outlooks.
Internal conflict and External rivalry
Republicanism
By the end of the twelfth century, the city-states had adopted a fairly uniform pattern of republican self-government built around the office of chief magistrate.
Two councils a large one and small secret one.
External Enemies
Papacy and the empire
Emperor argued at their customary feudal subjection to his authority must be radically adjusted
Papacy argued that christ had denied all political jurisdiction to the clergy, including pope and undercut Papal claim to political control in Italy and elsewhere.
Despotism
Three conditions
1. Class war between rich merchants and nobles
2. The economic disasters, famine and disease
3. Perhaps most important, city-states had come to rely on mercenary troops.
Middle of 15th century
Florentines developed new arguments and theories
Florentine republicanism was giving way of Intrigues of rich banking family.
1430’s Cosimo de Medici completed
the destruction of the republican
constitution
1480’s Set up a government staffed
by his own supporters.
Venice
1297 both offices and electorate were narrowly restricted by law of old patricians families
Aristocratic republic series of duty passed by generation to generation
Renaissance Politics
• Same pattern and problems as those of the Greek city-states
• Inter-city warfare led to new advances in diplomacy
-- “balance of power”
• Northern Italian “communes”
• The Peace of Lodi (1454)
Renaissance Politics (cont)
• Rome, Venice, Milan, Florence, and the Kingdom of Naples
• Renaissance Venice
• Renaissance Florence
--Lorenzo the Magnificent (1449-1492)
• 1300’s republicanism became 1400’s despotism—with the exception of Venice
Renaissance Politics (cont)
• Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)
-- “The Prince”
• The goal of the prince must be power
• Cynical view of human nature
• Fear is a better motivator than affection
• Politics as the art of deception
V. Renaissance Politics (cont)
• Ancient and contemporary examples of effective political leaders--Cesare Borgia
• A new realism in political thought
• 1400’s “Civic” humanism• Leonardo Bruni’s The New
Cicero• Henry VIII as a Renaissance
prince
II. European Economic Recovery
• Dramatic recovery of European commerce
• Important industries flourish in Northern Italy
• The significance of printing
• The fifteenth-century banking empire of the Medici family in Florence
Renaissance Economics
• Profit-making became more important than Church doctrine
• To overcome guilt, profit-makers indulge in philanthropy
• Influence of guilds declining
• High profits led to economic diversification
Renaissance Economics (cont)
• “Cottage Industry”
• Art became the way to advertise economic success
• Intensified commercial competition created the need to be efficient
Renaissance Society
• Renaissance is an elitist historical phenomenon
• Northern Italy was urban and commercial while Southern Italy mostly was not
• Very family-oriented society
• Marriages were frequently arranged to strengthen business ties
Renaissance Society (cont)
• Father’s authority over his family
• Some wealthy women played an important role in Italian city-states
--Isabella d’Este of Mantua
• Concentration of wealth among great families
-- “populo grosso”
Renaissance Society (cont)
• Extreme social stratification divided into factions around the wealthiest families
• Poor increasingly attempting to improve their social status--The Ciompi Revolt (1378)-- “populo minuto”
• “The Cult of the Individual”