Life in a reinassiance city
Life in a reinassiance cityLife in A Renaissance City
“…the most varied forms of human development are found united in the history of Florence, which in this sense deserves the name of the first modern State in the world, “ (Burckhardt)
Florence was the birthplace of the renaissance and the perfect example of a renaissance city. The city was founded during the Roman Empire but didn’t become important until the time of the renaissance. They had guilds, the patronage system, spectacular architecture, and was the home to some of the most important and influential renaissance figures and artists. (Beers)
All of the occupations were controlled by a guild. Guilds were a group of people that belong to the same professions and set a standard set of guidelines. Everyone belonged to a guild, not just the rich. A poor person would serve as an apprentice to a guild member. The more important guilds were the silk and cloth traders as well as bankers and judges. Lesser guilds were the butchers, blacksmiths and masons. (Bynog)
“In the early history of Florence, there were battles between the guilds, which involved ransacking the city. This demonstrates how important the guilds were. They were more than just corporations or labor unions,” (Bynog). The 12 guilds that controlled trade were the key to Florence’s commercial success. This was because the wealthy members of the guilds usually held government positions as well and were very influential in the community (Focus on Florence). Other purposes guilds served were charity. They donated money to the city and to hospitals.
Since Florence was not a coastal city it got little money from trade. Much of its income came from its banking. “The Florentine gold coin known as the florin was of such reliable purity that it was the standard coinage throughout Europe” (Focus on Florence). Many small poor families became rich and famous banking families and spread throughout Europe.
When not working, the residents of Florence had artistic forms of entertainment. Lorenzo de Medici provided plays based on the suffering of Jesus on a regular basis. Also, on the saint day for Saint John, who was the patronage saint of Florence, there was a horse race that went throughout...
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