HIS109Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Luxury Goods, Petrarch, Middle Ages
05/10/2015
Lecture 5
Florence
FLORENCE
GUELF VS. GHIBELLINE
ORDINANCES OF JUSTICE (1293)
MONTE 1343
ARS DICTAMINIS (LETTER WRITING)
COLUCCIO SALUTAT (D. 1406)
HUMANISM (UMANISTA)
MARCUS TULLIUS CICERO (106-43 B.C.)
• Reaissae eas re-irth
Florence has ofte ee alled the radle of the Reaissae.
• Completely independent, small and insignificant town in a valley
• By the middle of the middle ages, began to distinguish itself due to skills, natural
advantages, ability to bring these things together to change nature of Europe
• Economy produced the highest quality woolen cloth in Europe (artisans, quality of
sheep, technology, good fortune, good quality dyes that no one else had)
• By the 12th century, Florence was right from high-quality textiles
• Ability to sell abroad had advantages—network of people and money were needed,
business model
• Florence had a luxury good to produce profit, everyone wanted it and there was
competition, causing the price to rise
• Bankers could help finance the rise of long-distance trade and urban economies
• Problem where is the sovereignty? Holy Roman Emperors, Church (every city in Italy
had to choose one or the other—neither had enough authority to be the leader)
***Guelf vs. Ghibelline
• Opportunities due to instability and competition
• Dark ages
• Prole ith eooy as that it did’t fit ito edieal orldie
• Had to be educated to practice a trade—this meant a secular perspective regarding
money and working for personal gain
• In every Italian town, there were people who taught letter-writing and wrote letters for
others (there was high illiteracy in Italy) called Ars Dictaminis
• Letter-writing skills spread to cause economy to grow
• However, the reality of having difficulty establishing institutions meant merchants were
very competitive
Still dominated by old landholding families
Descended from German knights
Fortresses within city (families outside the law)
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Document Summary
Marcus tullius cicero (106-43 b. c. : re(cid:374)aissa(cid:374)(cid:272)e (cid:373)ea(cid:374)s (cid:862)re-(cid:271)irth(cid:863) Holy roman emperors, church (every city in italy had to choose one or the other neither had enough authority to be the leader) Fortresses within city (families outside the law) Merchants organized themselves into guilds that made up an alternative form of go(cid:448)er(cid:374)(cid:373)e(cid:374)t, that did(cid:374)"t (cid:448)alue (cid:271)irth po(cid:449)er, (cid:271)ut rather la(cid:449) a(cid:374)d regulation, compromise, hard work. Any merchant who could pay taxes and have property could make their way to power. No group excluded: 1343 series of economic problems, florence in depression due to debt; later solved by. Government decided to combine all public death called the monte, and so bonds were sold to florentine citizens at a 5% return rate they cold be sold. Changed the nature of florence again no longer connected by religion, kin, etc. Broad effect on everyone in the city. As many active political people as possible were included.
