Signoria di Firenze

HISTORY
Centered on the Italian city of Florence in Tuscany, the republic originated as a Comune in 1115, dominated by a few dozen powerful families. As the city of Florence prospered in the 12th century through extensive trade with foreign countries, the territory of the Republic enlarged by imposing its power on nearby smaller towns. Florence's population continued to grow into the 13th century, reaching a level of 30,000 inhabitants. Several new bridges and churches were built, most prominently the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, begun in 1294. Florence was hit hard by the Black Death. 

TERRITORY



ECONOMY
Commerce and Banking
The primarily mercantile orientation of Florence soon became evident in one of their earliest achievements: the introduction of a new coin, the florin, in 1252. It was widely used beyond Florence's borders due to its reliable, fixed gold content and soon became one of the common currencies of Europe and the Near East.
The famous Medici bank was established by Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici in October 1397; it was one of the many banks estabilished by Florentine families, such as the Peruzzi, Bardi and the Acciaiuoli. 

A new tax system: the Catasto
The debt incurred during the war against Milan and neighbouring cities between 1400 and 1427 was gargantuan, amounting approximately to 4,200,000 florins. To pay, the state had to change the tax system. The current estimo system was replaced with the catasto. The catasto was based on a survey of a citizen's entire wealth, while the estimo was simply a form of income tax. 

POLITICS
The precarious peace that existed at the beginning of the XIII century was destroyed in 1216 when two factions, known as the Guelphs and the Ghibellines, began to war. The Ghibellines were supporters of the noble rulers of Florence, whereas the Guelphs were pro-papal populists. The Ghibellines were ousted in 1250 by the Guelphs, who in turn lost control of the city ten years later. The fragility of the Ghibelline rule caused them to seek out an arbitrator in the form of Pope Clement IV, who openly favoured the Guelphs, and restored them to power.


ARMY



SOURCES