Renaissance Political Life Teacher Notes (Summer 2023)

# Renaissance Political Life ## Church condemnation of usury (interest) not applied to banking - Florence currency, gold flown, = standard currency in Europe. - Plevence, merchants & prominent across Europe. - Issue if King commanded loans then refused to pay = King of Eng 15th ## Elaborate/highly...

# Renaissance Political Life ## Church condemnation of usury (interest) not applied to banking - Florence currency, gold flown, = standard currency in Europe. - Plevence, merchants & prominent across Europe. - Issue if King commanded loans then refused to pay = King of Eng 15th ## Elaborate/highly ritualized etiquitte based on mutual flattery kept social distance between the rich and poor. - Wealthy insisted on social respect of superior status (dukes of Milan insisted wives had to have the title Illustrissima) ## Urban patriarchs dominated city through power & patronage, dispensed titles & privileges/cash. - Also intimidation, eliminated enemies. ## Venice & Genoa, major trading centers of Renaissance, traded with the Far East via the Ottoman Empire. - Insurance for shipbuilding also major trades. - Woolens, almen, metals to East. - Cotton, silk, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger from East. ## Merchant capitalism lessened power of Italian nobles because of the increased number of people in towns & wealth of towns. - Merchants dominated the government of City-states. - Strong sense of municipal (city) pride. ## Social Structure - A wide variety of political structures in City-states. - Republics ruled by wealthy elite. - Powerful families & artisans shopkeepers dominated by the city-states. - Venice, Adnatiz port city. - Lagoons & canals. - Constitution balance of political interests: - Great Council (doge, elder) = executive. - Council (2,500 to 2,500 enfranchised patricians), Senate (elected by Great Council ) = nobility - No representation for the poor. ## All City-states developed bureaucracies & improved effectiveness of administration. - Foreign affairs, commerce, etc. offices were sold or given to members of ruling Family. ## Condottieri hired by City-states, including Papal States, as military (hired out to highest bidder) ## Prinas commanded themselves with large entourage. - Took over executive bodies, legislative advisory councils, special commissions. ## To of male citizens who could vote. - Venice, Siena, Lucca, Florence most stable governments. - Genoa, Bologna, Perugia switched between republics and despots. ## Popolo Grosso - “fat pol” = elite, wealthy 50% bankers, merchants, many manufacturing. - Middling sort = smaller merchants, manufacturers, master artisans. - Popolo Minuto - “little ppl” = most of urban - pup, day laborers, journeymen, most felt high taxes on consumption, tenant farmers. ## Northern Italian City-states peasant free, southern Italian city-states family. - “Milan” became hereditary → Visconti. - Wealth from metallurgy & textiles. ## 1450 Francesco Sforza (Condottiere mercenary of German origin) married illegitimate daughter, threw republic in Milan, his family’s rule imposed. - Allowed council of only Sforza, but his policy. ## Florence & Venice as frenemies (fought each other but teamed up to prevent Milan from becoming too powerful). - Venice controlled Alps to Po River. - Genoa struggled with independence. - Internal stresses (merchants, factionists, nobles). - External threats from Milan and France. ## Papal States governed by Popes. - Internal struggle of nobles, 8th largest city in 14th century - Rome 8, Italian peninsula 1450s. - Struggles in 14th/15th/16th centuries. - “Babylonian Captivity”, etc.