HIS109Y1 Lecture 7: The Italian Renaissance
Document Summary
Florence was inland, had no access to the sea nor connected to the main roman road. The mastery of skills such as that in the woolen industry proved essential in making florence a valuable and powerful city-state. And it had the good fortune of being surrounded by a mountain range, keeping it well-guarded. Florentines became the first international bankers in a grand scale. They had local connections for their products to be protected and reinvested and foreign interests for potential buyers. As such, the city grew extensively and many, specifically merchants, became wealthy. Nobles found them to be like parasites, low born individuals that were once meager peasants now climbing to the same ranks as them. Created stricter guidelines for the old, feudal nobility. Gave any citizen access to a position of public office. And more or less did away the feudal class system in florence.
