The Period of Greatest Commercial and Agricultural Prosperity for Roman Florence Founded

 The period of greatest commercial and agricultural prosperity for Roman Florence founded in around 59 B.C., was during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian. The primitive Christian community lived where the Cassia road met the Arno, in the area around the Church of Santa Felicitý: the first known forms of Christian worship known evolved around Felicitas, the Palestinian martyr, and Laurence the deacon. First Christian martyr of Florence was Miniato who according to tale was beheaded and then picked up his head and carried it to where he wished to be buried  313 Constantine legalized Christian worship and Florence also became a bishopric state. San Lorenzo was the first cathedral. Cities bishopric was dedicated to St. Maria Reparata who was a Palestinian martyr after she was said to appear on the anniversary of her martyrdom on October 8, 405. Florence after three centuries was taken over by the Goths, Byzantines, Longobards and Franks. Charlemagne himself, who is thought to have stayed in Florence in 781 and 786, was directly responsible for the foundation of the church of SS.Apostoli. Saint John the Baptist is the Patron Saint of Florence.

 Florence began as a free commune (Matilde Di Canossa). Then it was governed by 4 consuls, which soon became 12 (2 for every 6th part within city walls), which was supported by a council and parliament. It was divided by the two parties: Ghibeline (nobility and merchants) and Guelph (middle class). Ghibeline was the dominant party; guelphs were admitted to counsil & they became the dominant party. This started a time of peace and established the city as an economic and financial power. There was a war against Podesta, in which the lower class won. Then there was a civil war (battle of Montaperti) which lasted for 7 years, in which the nobels (Ghibeline) came back to power. Government was formed composed of Priors of the Guilds,but the real power was in the aristocrats hands. Ghilbellines ruled for 6 years before the people tried to overthrow them again, they failed; Cement IV was made a mediator to the people. The people of Florence suffered economically under Ghibllines rule. With support from the pope and the knights of Charles of Anjou, the Guelphs conquered again. Two other parties began to form - Magnati (entrepreneurs) and Popolani (workers) 1282 and 1283 established the Second Popolo and created the Priorato Constitution that ruled over the people for 2 centuries. The Magnati were not allowed to take part in the politics. There was a brief moment of dictatorship by Duke of Athens. This lasted til the Medici family came to power. Guelphs split into two parties: Black and white. Another war for power. Dante was a hero of the battle for the Whites. The Blacks won but they were not able to abolish the rules of Justice. But later they were reformed to let noble men come into the government. The new constitution was formed of a new captain of the people. There was a social clash called the Revolt of the Ciompi, where the lower class wanted to be a part of the government of the city. They wanted to build their own Guild and have their own representatives. One of their leaders was Salvestro Dei Medici and he was given a democratic patent for his family. Giovanni and his son Cosimo controlled the situation through their allies. The city went back to being governed by a Signori. End of the 13th century Florence reached peak of its economic and demographic development. They completely redesigned the city and rebuilt it and was finished in 1333 and the population continued to increase (90000).

 The architecture history in Florence can be divided into two periods. The first is from the origins up to the middle of the 13th century, which was the foundation of the communities and first churches. All buildings were of modest size. The next period is the ex-novo construction.  The Dominicans established themselves in Florence in 1221 in the small church of Santa Maria delle Vigne, which had been donated by the cathedral chapter.  The first church of the Franciscans, dedicated to the Holy Cross dates back to the second quarter of the 13th century. It was rebuilt in 1295 as we see it today. How the names originated and Hohenstaufen  Names of rival German houses in their struggle for the title of Holy Roman Emperor.  Germans/Papal party: the Guelphs  Italians/Holy Roman emperors: the Ghibellines  The feud started because of the election of Lothair II (the Holy Roman emperor from 1133 & German king from 1125).The start of the feud between the house of Welf (Guelph/followers of the Lion) and the lord of Hohenstaufen (castle @ Waiblingen) gave the Ghibellines their name.  This conflict started the civil war (later settled in 1152 by the election of Frederick I/Barbarossa (He was the son of a Hoenstaufen father + Welf mother.)  The Guelph-Ghibelline conflict continued on until Pope Benedict XII forbade the use of the Guelph and Ghibelline names.  The supporters of the French king called themselves guelphs and the opponents ghibellines. The Hohenstaufen  The house of Hohenstaufen supplied 5 Holy Roman emperors: o Conrad II: Extended his rule into Lombardy and Burgundy o Frederick I/Barbarossa: Conrad’s nephew o Henry VI/The Severe: Frederick Barbarossa’s son o Frederick II/Stupor Mundi: Frederick Barbarossa’s grandson. He succeeded in unifying Italy; he created the national language, and supported the birth of poetry in Germany. o Conrad IV/Corradino: Grandson of Frederick II. He was defeated by Charles of Anjou. When he died, all hopes of a unified Italy under an emperor died. The sons of Frederick II died were jailed. In Italy and The Guelphs  the terms Guelfi and Ghibellini were introduced about 1242 in Florence; the original "party platforms" Aribert (died 1045), Archbishop of Milan 1018–45, should have been a Guelph instead he was one of the early leaders of the Ghibelline party. 1026 crowned the emperor Conrad II as king of Milan.  The Colonna family in Rome produced popes, and cardinals, belonged to the Ghibelline party.  The Lombard league, an association of northern Italian towns and cities established 1164 to maintain their independence against the Holy Roman emperors' claims of sovereignty. Venice, Padua, Brescia, Milan, and Mantua were among the founders. Supported by Milan and Pope Alexander III (1105–1181), the league defeated Frederick Barbarossa at Legnano in northern Italy 1179 and effectively resisted Otto IV (1175–1218) and Frederick II, becoming the most powerful champion of the Guelph cause. Internal rivalries led to its dissolution 1250.  Brunetto Latini (c. 1220–1294) Italian man of letters and public affairs. He was attached to the Guelph party. He was also the author of a didactic and allegorical poem, Il tesoretto; a moral epistle, Il favolello; a treatise on rhetoric. The Ghilbellines and In Florence Black and white  The Cancellieri family argued over an incident. A nephew struck the uncle and the uncle thought nothing of it. It would have stopped there but the uncle’s son cut off his cousins hands. Then he went after his father and killed him.  A feud developed among the ruling Guelphs over the murder which resulted in the splitting of the two parties: Neri (blacks) and Bianchi (whites)  This had the effect of exacerbating the existing rivalry between the two Florentine families, the Cerchi (Par. XVI, v. 65 and v. 94) and the Donati (Purg. XXIV, v. 82).  Though both Guelphs who had fought with Dante at the battle of Campaldino, the two families took opposing views in supporting the jailed Pistoiese leaders. The Cerchi became associated with the Whites and the Donati with the Blacks.  These two divisions, though unpolitical at first, assumed more and more political overtones so that the Black Guelphs remained the pure papal Guelphs, while the White Guelphs became disaffected and eventually threw in their lot with the Ghibellines.  Pope Boniface VIII and Charles of Valois interfered and put an end to the fighting. Vieri de’ Cerchi was summoned by the Pope but refused to do anything the Pontiff asked. Both factions were to be banished from Florence.