Inproceedings,
Like Fathers like Sons: Theories on the Origins of the City in Late Medieval Florence
124, page 23-44. (2009)
Abstract
Accounts of the origins of a city are crucial to the development of the community's identity. By tracing the nature of their forefathers, the members of a social body establish a series of models and values to which they will constantly turn in times of war and peace. Because of their importance, theories concerning the foundation of a city are inevitably subject to continuous variations; their unending changes faithfully reflect the mutable features and goals of society. Such phenomena are common to all Italian cities of the late Middle Ages and the early Renaissance, a period when the communes of the peninsula freed themselves from the control of foreign emperors and ecclesiastic authorities before falling prey to the growing power of local families. Owing to her rich culture and distinctive political history, however, Florence provides a unique case for both a variety of approaches and an abundance of documents.
