A short history of Florence by Franco Cardini

Author:Franco Cardini
Language: ita
Format: epub
Publisher: Pacini Editore
Published: 2011-12-17T16:00:00+00:00

Crisis and redefinition of a “bourgeois” city

Angelo di Bondone, known as Giotto, had already started building his famous bell tower before his death in 1337. Almost in the same years, Andrea Orcagna was building the airy loggia next to the Palazzo dei Priori and Francesco Talenti was starting the construction of the new Orsanmichele with his loggia characterised by ogival arches and columns.

These three building are almost a symbol of perfection, aligned along the line of Via Calzaioli, and the celebration of a “bourgeois” class that appeared to be making its way in town.

This is the town of the joyful group of story-tellers featured in the Decamerone. The young and joyful group of people portrayed in the frescoes in the cemetery of Pisa, who are playing around in a beautiful garden unaware that death is ready to step in. The truth is that the ruling class substantially failed to fulfil its scope.

Between the thirties and forties of the 14th century, the Mozzi, the Frescobaldi, the Spini, the Bardi, the Peruzzi, the Acciaioli and the Bonaccorsi were busy lending money - at high rates and with very high risks - to the Popes of Avignon, the kings of France and England and to almost all the most important princes in Italy and Europe. Florentines refined and practically manufactured directly almost 7-10% of all the wool cloths manufactured in the West, importing and consuming incredible amounts of allumen and precious dying substances. Florentines gave work (although very badly paid) to the vast majority of the underprivileged classes of the town and of the country, since the processes that transformed wool into precious and soft cloths required almost thirty different stages. Bankers, traders and manufacturers supported each other. The Guild of Calimala and the Wool Guild were, together with the Bankers’ Guild, the Guilds that dominated the town.

And yet this castle of skill and wealth had very weak foundations. In the 14th century the military defence Florence could oppose was very weak and easily defetable. In the first quarter of the century it had badly been defeated by the Ghibellines, as for instance during the battle of Montecatini that had compromised its prestige. A strong army was exactly what it needed, especially at a time when Florence was no longer the centre of principality-town, but was becoming the centre of a regional state. Florence dominated in fact several minor centres and even other towns, like Prato, Pistoia and later also Arezzo. Its territory stretched south towards Valdarno, Pisa, the Chianti valley, Valdelsa and Siena and north towards Valdarno and the Apennines. “New lands” and new centres were being established especially in Valdarno and in the mountain area. Although Pisa and Siena had surrendered and abandoned their Ghibelline faith, thus adapting their governments to the wishes of their rival, Florence never managed to lay its hand on Lucca, even though the latter was experiencing a critical situation and often entrusted his freedom to casual and unreliable patrons. The Hundred Years War that broke out

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