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History of Florence Study Guide SANTA REPARATA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF ART Academic Year 2015/2016 Spring Term 2016 History of Florence Study Guide The origin of Florence There existed an Etruscan city before the Romans? Probably not a city, but a village in habited by fishermen ‣ The Arno was a navigable river Maximum Etruscan Expansion Other Italic Peoples Fig. 1: The Italian Peninsula, 6th century BC (circa) • Maybe there existed a proto-Roman settlement in the area of Florence, but the scholars are still arguing about it. • The history of Florence starts in 59 BC, when the village of Florentia was founded. But why? 1. To give a latifundum to the veterans 2. Because of strategic reasons (Julius Caesar was then fighting against Sulla). Florence was just 6km away from Faesulae. Fig. 2: Ancient Roman Florence Fig. 3: Hypothesis of a pre-Roman Florence Florence in the Ancient Roman times • On the foundation of Florence, the debate is still open: • The Ancient Romans used to build the cities following the technique of the castrum: 2 streets like a cross, the cardus and the decumanus, plus other minor streets (see fig. 3). • The city was born lucky: it was in the Apennines valley and was on the consular street Cassia Nuova • 123: Emperor Adrian built a new street • The Romans then built: the aqueduct, the forum, the thermal baths, a theater and the amphitheater. • The city was was fortified and dedicated to Mars, the first protector of Florence. The city was a square of 1.800 mt per side Its population was, probably, around the 10-15,000 people. Diocletian Emperor Diocletian, in 285, placed in Florence the corrector a very important military office. It was the commander of the whole legion that controlled the Tuscia (corresponding circa to modern Tuscany and Northern Lazio) Where does the name Florentia come from? There are two hypothesis : 1. The village of Florence was founded in spring, during the ludi florales, games to honor the goddess Flora, from April 30th to May, 3rd 2. The plan on which Florence was founded was plenty of flowers, lilies Fig. 4: The aqueduct of Florentia Florence after the Fall of the Roman Empire • 476: The Roman Empire is divided into two parts: West and East • A continuous stream of barbarian peoples flow to Italy: Are the barbarian invasions • 406: The Goths besieged Florence,, but the Roman general Stilicone defeated them • 553: Byzantine-Gothic war. The Byzantine army besieges Florence ‣ 570: The Lombards Fig. 5: The Roman Empire after the division conquer Florence • VII Century, the church dedicated to St. John (san Giovanni) is built ‣ 791: Charles the Great is in Florence • IX century: the churches of SS. Apostles and St. Remigio are built. The Early Middle Ages • In Tuscany, the Lombards chose Lucca as capital of their kingdom, they believed that Florence was too close to the Apennines, controlled by the Byzantines • The ancient Roman routes went into decadence. A new trade route was built: the via Francigena. Florence was out of this route • Before St. John, in Florence proto-martyrs were venerated: Lorenzo, Miniato, Felicita, Reparata and Zanobi. • The Lombard were the first who venerated St. John and made him as protector of Florence Charlesmagne in Florence Fig. 7: Italy around 590 • Charlemagne, founder of the Holy Roman Empire, was in Florence at least 2 times: 781 and 786. • A legend says that the Charles’s horse horseshoe is stamped on the façade of St. Stefano al Ponte. • On SS. Apostles there is an epigraph on which the foundation of the church is attributed to Charles in person. • Florence revived in Carolingian times, since 9th Century. The Carolingians and Feudalism 9th-10th centuries The new political structure of the Carolingian Empire. The encastellation • The three elements of Feudalism 1. Real: honor or beneficium 2. Personal: homagium 3. Juridical: immunitas • 1037: Constitutio de feudis, also the minor nobles (owners of smaller territories) could pass their patrimonies to their successors. • Before, only the wealthiest aristocracy could benefit of the succession of their patrimonies. Lothair 1st The feudal pyramid Emperor Aristocracy (knights) Vassalli Vassalli Vassalli Minor Aristocracy Serbi glaebae (serfs, peasants) • Grandson of Charles the Great, Lothair was king of Italy: • 854: Lothair brought together the two counties of Florence and Fiesole Florence starts gobbling up Fiesole enlarging its dominions 10th Century • The Hungarian invasions in Italy force many peasants to find a refuge in the cities • In Florence many people from the countryside move • New modifies to the city-walls were made I • n the late 10th Century the marquis Hughes of Tuscany moves from Lucca to Florence • Few years later the Emperor Henry 2nd founded the beautiful church of St. Miniato • At mid 11th Century, the new marquis of Tuscany, Geoffrey of Lorena, chose Florence as capital of his dominion •The successor of Geoffrey, Matilde of Tuscany (1076-1115) was very important for the fight between the Pope and the Emperor Florence City-walls 1. 2nd Century AD 2. 6th Century 3. 10th Century, Carolingian times 4. 1078, Matilde’s city-walls (possibile) 5. 1173-1175 6. 1333 From the Carolingians to the Investiture Controversy The Coronation of Charlemagne 1. The Emperor as political leader of all the Christianity 2. Alliance between the Frank monarchy and the Church It is the birth of the Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire • Presents itself as the continuator, the heir of the Ancient Roman Empire • Differences 1. A continental Empire 2. Economy based on agriculture, not on trade 3. A rural society 4. Urban depopulation 5. Religion based on Christianity 6. Cultural monopoly 7. High illiteracy 8. In politics was not ordinate, not organized (feudalism) 9. Not a written right 10. Authority in the person of the emperor 11. Personal relations The end of the Carolingian Empire Death of Charlemagne (814) • Void of Power • The State was divided: 1. France 2. Lotharingia 3. Germany • Disgregation • Affirmation of Feudalism The Magyars in Italy and Florence • 9-10th century: Attacks of Vikings and Magyars • the People move to the city • Florence is fortified again • The Marquis Hughes moves from Lucca to Florence • Florence becomes capital of Tuscany Florence and the Investiture Controversy • Geoffrey of Tuscany place his capital in Florence Something about the Controversy When? 11th-12th Century (1056-1122) What? The biggest conflict between Pope and Emperor in the Middle Ages Why? We need to make a step backward... Something about the power of Bishops - End of the 4th century: Arcadius and Honorius gave the Episcopalis Audientia the same force of the public tribunals - 554: Justinian drafts the Prammatica Sanctione: The Bishops become equivalent to the imperial functionaries - 728: The Lombards give a huge piece of land to the Pope - The Constitutum Costantini - The carolingian period and the Count-bishops: The bishops become feudatari, in practice they can own land and properties just like any other aristocrat. Investitures 1056: Henry the 4th becomes Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire The Pope, Gregory 7th forms the Collegium, a council of cardinals to take important decisions in matter of religion and the relations with the emperor. 1075, The Dictatus Papae Pope Gregory 7th draft a very hard document in which he affirms the spiritual superiority of the Pope: 1.The Church was founded by God alone 2. The Papal authority was the only Universal Authority 3. Only the Pope could appoint or remove churchmen Henry’s reaction The reaction of the emperor is furious: “Henry, king not through usurpation but through the holy ordination of God, to Hildebrand, at present not pope but false monk” “I, Henry, king by the grace of God, with all of my Bishops, say to you, come down, come down, and be damned throughout the ages” The events The emperor besieges Rome: 1080-81 The Pope calls the Normands to defend the Holy City (Rome) The Normands defeat the Germans, but pillage the city Hard reaction of the people of Rome Gregory 7th forced to flee... will die in Salerno in 1085 Henry dies in 1106 The death of Gregory, and the election of his successor Victor III, will bring up a normalization of the relationships between the papacy and the empire. Matilda’s “victory” Matilda was fundamental in settling the fight originated from the investiture controversy. Her prestige was at the apex when she decides to move to Tuscany, that became the centre of her feudo. Concordat of Worms, 1122 It’s the end of the fight between the Empire and the Papacy Signed in Worms (Germany) between Pope Callistus 2nd and Emperor Henry 5th The Bishops were appointed by the Pope, but the Emperor, or a functionary should be present The Temporal power went back to the imperial representatives Towards the conflict with the emperor • Between 11th and 12th Centuries, Florence was a relatively modest town in Tuscany • Trade: very essential productive structures. • Just for basic requirements • Wine, olive oil but in small quantities No grain or cereals • Like the most of the proto-communal cities, Florence started expanding towards the countryside 1113-1115 The countess Matilde of Tuscany and Emperor Henry 5th died 1125: Florence attacks and destroys Fiesole, the bishop is forced to move within the city walls • Florence extends its influence on the whole middle Valdarno from Figline to Empoli and it opened a confict with the neighbors: • Pisa, Arezzo, Pistoia, Siena • The trade develops • New citizens coming from the countryside, land owners and warriors • New trade structures: like the Arno • 1182: the firs GUILD (arte) is documented in Florence: Calimala, i.e. merchants The beginning of a world power • The main means to make money were, for the middle class, basically two: 1.
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