florence as a republic part one: italy - a short political history

FLORENCE AS A REPUBLIC

PART ONE:

ITALY - A SHORT POLITICAL HISTORY


THE ETRUSCANS

Linguist origins of “Tuscany”

First city-builders in Italy

Linked in a Confederation


THE ETRUSCANS


THE ARRIVAL OF THE ROMANS

Aeneas

Romulus and Remus


ROMAN REPUBLIC

A basic principle of political philosophy:FOR THE PEOPLE, OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE!!

Was lost

Still lost

But found….by the French?


SRQR: Senatus Populusque Romanus


STRUCTURE OF GOV’TCONSULS (2): chief civil and military magistrates; invested with imperium (consular imperium was considered maius ("greater") than that of praetors); convened senate and curiate and centuriate assemblies.

PRAETORS (2-8): had imperium ; main functions (1) military commands (governors) (2) administered civil law at Rome.

AEDILES (2): plebian (plebian only) and curule (plebian or patrician); in charge of religious festivals, public games, temples, upkeep of city, regulation of marketplaces, grain supply.

QUAESTORS (2-40): financial officers and administrative assistants (civil and military); in charge of state treasury at Rome; in field, served as quartermasters and seconds- in-command.

TRIBUNES (2-10): charged with protection of lives and property of plebians; their persons were inviolable (sacrosanct); had power of veto (Lat. "I forbid") over elections, laws, decrees of the senate, and the acts of all other magistrates (except dictator); convened tribal assembly and elicited plebiscites, which after 287 B.C. ( lex Hortensia ) had force of law.

CENSORS (2): elected every 5 years to conduct census, enroll new citizens, review roll of senate; controlled public morals and supervised leasing of public contracts; in protocol ranked below praetors and above aediles, but in practice, the pinnacle of a senatorial career (ex- consuls only) -- enormous prestige and influence ( auctoritas ).

DICTATOR (1): in times of military emergency appointed by consuls; dictator appointed a Master of the Horse to lead cavalry; tenure limited to 6 months or duration of crisis, whichever was shorter; not subject to veto.


ROMAN EMPIRE 395 AD

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MIDDLE AGES & EARLY RENAISSANCE

A new system of government begins to develop: the City-State.

AKA the ‘commune’Secular

Elected officers

de facto independence but,

There were lordships of emperor, pope, king, or duke




‘Commune’ ORGANIZATION

‘Consuls’: central officialsElected by various methods

Decisions had to be approved by councilsVaried in size

Took the place of the popular assembly

Elected by various methods

Members represented the citizens

Protected against corruptionOnly in office for short period of time

Lived in isolation


‘Signore’ IS THE ALTERNATIVE

Powerful families

Retained retained Republican institutions

Historians have MISLEAD us all!!


GUELPHS vs. GHIBELLINES

Guelphs split but furtherBlacks v. Whites

WarfareCiompi revolt


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FLOWERING of the FLORENTINE RENAISSANCE

Florence becomes a city-state in the 15th century.

The Medici family


STRUCTURE OF GOV’TGONFALONIERE : was elected for only two months. Had very specific powers, had to be a member of one of the seven great guilds, or arti.

POPOLO GRASSO : the greater guilds and had the dominant position with in the government

POPOLO MINUTO : the lesser guild, represented the small people

PRIORI: (8) lower executive officers, six had to be fro the greater guilds while the other two had to be from the lesser guilds

SIGNORIA : gonfaloniere and priori together

CONSIGLIO DEL COMMUNE : one of the two legislative houses, the upper house; elected on a constituency basis by the four quartieri, or the four quarters of Florence. Location of nobility

CONSIGLIO DEL POPOLO : the second/lower house of the legislature. Seats were strictly for the arti

PARLAMENTO : ultimate constitutional sanction. Citizenship was restricted to members of the arti, who could be called together by the bell in the Palazzo Vecchio, where propositions put to the parlamento by the signoria could be approved or disapproved by the shouts of the citizens.


PART TWO:

FLORENCE’S POWERFUL FAMILIES & THEIR POLITCAL INFLUENCE

florence as a republic part one: italy - a short political history

Documents

military magistrates

greater guilds

civil law

consuls dictator

imperium consular imperium

public morals

public games

military commands governors