Republic of Florence
In 1115, the Florentine people rebelled against the Margraviate of Tuscany following the death of Matilda of Tuscany. This uprising marked the beginning of a new political era for the city. The Florentines formed a commune to replace Rabodo, who was Matilda's successor and ruled from 1116 until his death in 1119. Rabodo died during a dispute with the city, creating a power vacuum that allowed Florence to assert its independence.
The first official mention of this republic appeared in 1138 when several Tuscan cities formed a league against Duke Henry X of Bavaria. At this time, the country remained nominally part of the Holy Roman Empire. A study by Enrico Faini identified about fifteen old aristocratic families moving to Florence between 1000 and 1100. These included names like Amidei, Ardinghi, Brunelleschi, Buondelmonti, Caponsacchi, Donati, Fifanti, Gherardini of Montagliari, Guidi, Nerli, Porcelli, Sacchetti, Scolari, Uberti, and Visdomini.
Florence prospered through extensive trade with foreign countries during the 12th century. This economic growth supported demographic expansion and mirrored the construction rate of churches and palazzi. However, Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa invaded the Italian peninsula in 1185, causing the margraves of Tuscany to reacquire Florence and its townlands. The Florentines reasserted their independence only after Emperor Henry VI died in 1197.
In 1252, Florence introduced a new coin called the florin. This gold currency became widely used beyond the city's borders due to its reliable fixed gold content. It soon became one of the common currencies of Europe and the Near East. The same year saw the creation of the Palazzo del Popolo. The florin was the first European gold coin struck in sufficient quantities to play a significant commercial role since the 7th century.
The collapse of the Bonsignori family of Siena in 1298 marked a turning point for banking power. The Bonsignori were one of the leading banking families of Europe, but their bankruptcy allowed Florence to take over as the most prominent banking center. New banking families like the Bardis, Peruzzis, and Acciaioli sprang up to fill the void left by the fallen Sienese dynasty.
Florence's reign as the foremost banking city did not last forever. Several major banks went bankrupt in 1340 during a Europe-wide economic recession. While often attributed to Edward III of England refusing to pay debts, the actual debt was just £13,000. The broader economic downturn caused these financial institutions to perish. Despite this crisis, Florentine literature flourished with writers like Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio choosing to write in the Tuscan dialect instead of Latin.
In 1216, two factions known as the Guelphs and the Ghibellines went to war, destroying the precarious peace that had existed at the beginning of the century. The Ghibellines supported noble rulers while the Guelphs were populists. The Ghibellines ruled the city under Frederick of Antioch since 1244 until they were deposed by the Guelphs in 1250.
The Guelphs led Florence to prosperity but suffered a catastrophic defeat at the Battle of Montaperti against Siena in 1260. This loss allowed the Ghibellines to resume power and undo many advances made by their opponents. They demolished hundreds of towers, homes, and palaces before seeking an arbitrator in Pope Clement IV who restored them to power.
A great fire destroyed much of the city in 1304 during renewed conflict between the factions. In 1378, discontented wool workers revolted in what became known as the Ciompi revolt. This revolutionary commune was crushed by wealthier classes in 1382. Later conflicts involved three wars with Milan between 1390 and 1402. War expenses exceeded one million florins and necessitated tax raises and forced loans.
Cosimo de' Medici succeeded his father Giovanni di Bicci as head of the Medici Bank in October 1397. He played a prominent role in government until his exile in 1433 following a disastrous war with Lucca. Cosimo's exile in Venice lasted less than a year before Florentine people overturned it through a democratic vote. He returned to acclaim while the Albizzi family faced banishment.
From 1458, Cosimo withdrew from official public roles yet maintained greater control than ever before. Political councils were held in his home where he chose magistrates. Some contemporaries asserted his tyranny was intolerable, calling him king in all but name and legal status. His son Piero the Gouty suffered from gout and did not enjoy good health during his reign.
In August 1466, conspirators received support from the Duke of Ferrara who marched troops into the countryside to depose Piero. The coup failed when Florentines refused to support it. In the winter of 1469, Piero died after ruling for several years. His son Lorenzo the Magnificent succeeded him as the greatest artistic patron of the Renaissance.
Niccolò Niccoli appointed Manuel Chrysoloras as the first Professor of Greek at the University of Florence in 1397. Chrysoloras founded Hellenic studies in Italy and became a key figure in humanist scholarship. Niccoli bequeathed his collection of ancient manuscripts to Cosimo upon his death in 1437. Poggio Bracciolini succeeded Niccoli as principal humanist and authored works while searching for Greco-Roman manuscripts across Europe.
Cosimo employed Donatello, Brunelleschi, and Michelozzo on artistic commissions costing over 600,000 florins. He hosted the Great Ecumenical Council in 1439 which deliberated until July that year. This council aimed to reconcile the Byzantine Eastern Orthodox Church with Roman Catholicism but ultimately failed to prevent Constantinople's fall to Ottomans in 1453.
Lorenzo de' Medici commissioned Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Botticelli among others during his reign. The Renaissance truly descended on Florence under his rule. Lorenzo had many children including future Pope Leo X and Piero the Unfortunate. His brother Giuliano was killed before his own eyes in the Pazzi conspiracy of 1478.
Girolamo Savonarola came to Florence in the 1480s as a priest from Ferrara. By proclaiming predictions and through vigorous preaching he won people to his cause. His new government ushered in democratic reforms allowing exiles back into the city. Florentines stopped wearing garish colors and many women took oaths to become nuns.
Savonarola became most famous for ordering all vanities gathered and burned in what is known as the Bonfire of the Vanities. These items included wigs, perfume, paintings, and ancient pagan manuscripts. His rule collapsed a year later when he was excommunicated by Pope Alexander VI in late 1497.
In May 1498, Florentine authorities executed Savonarola by burning him at the stake in the Piazza della Signoria. People blamed him for food shortages and isolated cases of plague that followed a failed war with Pisa. He was tortured before his execution after years of influence over the state's direction.
Cardinal Giovanni de' Medici captured Florence with Papal troops during the War of the League of Cambrai in September 1512. This event restored Medici rule after they had been repudiated by Soderini earlier that month. Cardinal Giovanni was elected Pope Leo X shortly after retaking the city bringing the Papal States and Florence into political union.
Following the Republic's surrender in the Siege of Florence on the 12th of August 1530, Emperor Charles V issued a proclamation stating he alone could determine the government. The title Duke of the Florentine Republic was chosen to bolster Medici power. Alessandro de' Medici became the first duke though Imperial troops remained stationed in the city until 1542.
Alessandro continued ruling until murdered on the 1st of January 1537 by distant relative Lorenzino de' Medici. Cosimo I was selected as successor in 1537 after defeating exiled Strozzi family at Montemurlo. In 1569, Cosimo was elevated to Grand Duke of Tuscany by Pope Pius V marking the end of the republic and beginning of hereditary monarchy.
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Common questions
When did the Florentine people rebel against the Margraviate of Tuscany to form the Republic of Florence?
The Florentine people rebelled in 1115 following the death of Matilda of Tuscany. This uprising marked the beginning of a new political era for the city and allowed them to assert their independence after Rabodo died during a dispute with the city.
What coin did the Republic of Florence introduce in 1252 and why was it significant?
Florence introduced the florin in 1252 as a gold currency with reliable fixed gold content. It became one of the common currencies of Europe and the Near East and was the first European gold coin struck in sufficient quantities to play a significant commercial role since the 7th century.
Who were the two factions that fought for control of the Republic of Florence starting in 1216?
The Guelphs and the Ghibellines went to war in 1216 destroying the precarious peace at the beginning of the century. The Ghibellines supported noble rulers while the Guelphs were populists who eventually ruled the city from 1250 until their defeat at the Battle of Montaperti in 1260.
When did Cosimo de Medici return to power and how long did his exile last?
Cosimo de Medici returned to Florence less than a year after his exile began following a democratic vote by the Florentine people. He had been exiled in 1433 but returned to acclaim while the Albizzi family faced banishment.
What happened to Girolamo Savonarola in May 1498 and why did he lose support?
Florentine authorities executed Savonarola by burning him at the stake in the Piazza della Signoria in May 1498. People blamed him for food shortages and isolated cases of plague that followed a failed war with Pisa which led to his execution after years of influence over the state's direction.
When did the Republic of Florence officially end and what title replaced it?
The republic ended in 1569 when Cosimo was elevated to Grand Duke of Tuscany by Pope Pius V marking the beginning of hereditary monarchy. This occurred after the surrender of the Republic during the Siege of Florence on the 12th of August 1530 when Emperor Charles V issued a proclamation stating he alone could determine the government.