Renaissance Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ===Social and political structures in Italy=== [[File:Italy 1494 AD.png|thumb|A political map of the [[Italian Peninsula]] circa 1494]] The unique political structures of [[Italy]] during the [[Late Middle Ages]] have led some to theorize that its unusual social climate allowed the emergence of a rare cultural efflorescence. Italy did not exist as a [[Nation state|political entity]] in the early modern period. Instead, it was divided into smaller [[Italian city-states|city-states]] and territories: the [[Kingdom of Naples|Neapolitans]] controlled the south, the [[Republic of Florence|Florentines]] and the [[Papal States|Romans]] at the center, the [[Duchy of Milan|Milanese]] and the [[Republic of Genoa|Genoese]] to the north and west respectively, and the [[Republic of Venice|Venetians]] to the east. 15th-century Italy was one of the most [[Urbanization|urbanized]] areas in Europe.<ref>Kirshner, Julius, ''Family and Marriage: A socio-legal perspective'', [https://books.google.com/books?id=x9grA0fWpDMC&pg=PA89 ''Italy in the Age of the Renaissance: 1300β1550''], ed. John M. Najemy (Oxford University Press, 2004) p. 89 (Retrieved 10 May 2007)</ref> Many of its cities stood among the ruins of ancient Roman buildings; it seems likely that the classical nature of the Renaissance was linked to its origin in the Roman Empire's heartland.<ref>Burckhardt, Jacob, ''The Revival of Antiquity'', [http://www.boisestate.edu/courses/hy309/docs/burckhardt/3-2.html ''The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070407181825/http://www.boisestate.edu/courses/hy309/docs/burckhardt/3-2.html |date=7 April 2007 }} (trans. by S.G.C. Middlemore, 1878)</ref> Historian and political philosopher [[Quentin Skinner]] points out that [[Otto of Freising]] (c. 1114β1158), a German bishop visiting north Italy during the 12th century, noticed a widespread new form of political and social organization, observing that Italy appeared to have exited from [[feudalism]] so that its society was based on merchants and commerce. Linked to this was anti-monarchical thinking, represented in the famous early Renaissance [[fresco]] cycle ''[[The Allegory of Good and Bad Government]]'' by [[Ambrogio Lorenzetti]] (painted 1338β1340), whose strong message is about the virtues of fairness, justice, republicanism and good administration. Holding both Church and Empire at bay, these city republics were devoted to notions of liberty. [[Quentin Skinner|Skinner]] reports that there were many defences of liberty such as the [[Matteo Palmieri]] (1406β1475) celebration of Florentine genius not only in art, sculpture and architecture, but "the remarkable efflorescence of moral, social and political philosophy that occurred in Florence at the same time".<ref name="Skinner, Quentin p. 69">Skinner, Quentin, ''The Foundations of Modern Political Thought'', vol I: ''The Renaissance''; vol II: ''The Age of Reformation'', Cambridge University Press, p. 69</ref> Even cities and states beyond central Italy, such as the Republic of Florence at this time, were also notable for their [[Maritime republics|merchant republics]], especially the Republic of Venice. Although in practice these were [[Oligarchy|oligarchical]], and bore little resemblance to a modern [[democracy]], they did have democratic features and were responsive states, with forms of participation in governance and belief in liberty.<ref name="Skinner, Quentin p. 69"/><ref>Stark, Rodney, ''The Victory of Reason'', New York, Random House, 2005</ref><ref>Martin, J. and Romano, D., ''Venice Reconsidered'', Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University, 2000</ref> The relative political freedom they afforded was conducive to academic and artistic advancement.<ref name="burckhardt-republics">Burckhardt, Jacob, ''The Republics: Venice and Florence'', ''[http://www.boisestate.edu/courses/hy309/docs/burckhardt/1-7.html The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070407035616/http://www.boisestate.edu/courses/hy309/docs/burckhardt/1-7.html |date=7 April 2007 }}'', translated by S.G.C. Middlemore, 1878.</ref> Likewise, the position of Italian cities such as Venice as great trading centres made them intellectual crossroads. [[Merchant]]s brought with them ideas from far corners of the globe, particularly the [[Levant]]. Venice was Europe's gateway to trade with the East, and a producer of [[Venetian glass|fine glass]], while Florence was a capital of textiles. The wealth such business brought to Italy meant large public and private artistic projects could be commissioned and individuals had more leisure time for study.<ref name="burckhardt-republics" /> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! 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