Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Rise of the City-States
While the south of Italy tended to centralised rule, the north was heading the opposite way.
Port cities such as Genoa, Pisa and especially Venice, along with internal centres such as
Florence, Milan, Parma, Bologna, Padua, Verona and Modena, became increasingly in-
solent towards attempts by the Holy Roman Emperors to meddle in their affairs.
The cities' growing prosperity and independence also brought them into conflict with
Rome, which found itself increasingly incapable of exercising influence over them. Indeed,
at times Rome's control over some of its own Papal States was challenged. Caught between
the papacy and the emperors, it was not surprising that these city-states were forever
switching allegiances in an attempt to best serve their own interests.
Between the 12th and 14th centuries, they developed new forms of government. Venice
adopted an oligarchic, 'parliamentary' system in an attempt at limited democracy. More
commonly, the city-state created a
comune
(town council), a form of republican govern-
ment dominated at first by aristocrats but then increasingly by the wealthy middle classes.
The well-heeled families soon turned their attentions from business rivalry to political
struggles, in which each aimed to gain control of the
signoria
(government).
In some cities, great dynasties, such as the Medici in Florence and the Visconti and
Sforza in Milan, came to dominate their respective stages.
War between the city-states was constant and eventually a few, notably Florence, Milan
and Venice, emerged as regional powers and absorbed their neighbours. Their power was
based on a mix of trade, industry and conquest. Constellations of power and alliances were
in constant flux, making changes in the city-states' fortunes the rule rather than the excep-
tion. Easily the most stable and long the most successful of them was Venice.
In Florence, prosperity was based on the wool trade, finance and general commerce.
Abroad, its coinage, the
firenze
(florin), was king.
In Milan, the noble Visconti family destroyed its rivals and extended Milanese control
over Pavia and Cremona, and later Genoa. Giangaleazzo Visconti (1351-1402) turned Mil-
an from a city-state into a strong European power. The policies of the Visconti (up to
1450), followed by those of the Sforza family, allowed Milan to spread its power to the Ti-
cino area of Switzerland and east to the Lago di Garda.
The Milanese sphere of influence butted up against that of Venice. By 1450 the lagoon
city had reached the height of its territorial greatness. In addition to its possessions in
