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The Renaissance - Political life

Q: What happened in the Italian city-states from 1075 to 1300?

This was the period in which the communes , or city-state republics, broke free from imperial or papal rule and, in practice if not fully in theory, became self-governing; and it was also the era when they produced the most striking innovations in government and administration, establishing their own bureaucracies, courts of law, systems of public finance, armies and statutes.

Q: Who resided in the signori ?

The signori were invariably leaders of parties, rather than merely talented individuals in the Burckhardtian mould, and, as such, they were fully aware of the need to keep their followers, particularly their noble followers, happy.

Q: What did the signori do to secure themselves?

The signori were well aware that their survival depended on the support of the noble families of their dominions, and to secure it they dispensed patronage in the form of tax relief and of grants of office, lands and pensions.

6 important questions on The Renaissance - Political life

What was political life about in Italy?

Burckhardt was right to find this odd and unusual, but failed to identify the true nature of its singularity: the revival of the city-state form that had characterized the ancient world.
We can speak of the cities of Northern and Central Italy as city-states thanks to the degree of independence that they won for themselves and their possession of a territory beyond their walls.

What happened in the Italian city-states from 1075 to 1300?

This was the period in which the communes, or city-state republics, broke free from imperial or papal rule and, in practice if not fully in theory, became self-governing; and it was also the era when they produced the most striking innovations in government and administration, establishing their own bureaucracies, courts of law, systems of public finance, armies and statutes.

What did the governments of Italian communes produce?

Nowhere else in Europe at this time was public regulation developed as ambitiously as it was by the governments of the Italian communes, which produced a multitude of provisions embracing almost every areas of life: city planning and maintenance, communications, production and exchange, social welfare, religious and moral behaviour and family life.

What role did noble families have in Italy's economic, social and political life?

One of the distinguishing features of Italy's great families was that, while maintaining substantial estates outside the city walls, they tended to live in cities and, not infrequently, to engage in mercantile activities.
This was one of the reasons why the communes had the political will and the economic and military resources to break free from subjection to Pope or Emperor.

Who resided in the signori?

The signori were invariably leaders of parties, rather than merely talented individuals in the Burckhardtian mould, and, as such, they were fully aware of the need to keep their followers, particularly their noble followers, happy.

What did the signori do to secure themselves?

The signori were well aware that their survival depended on the support of the noble families of their dominions, and to secure it they dispensed patronage in the form of tax relief and of grants of office, lands and pensions.

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

Early Modern History

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