Ciompi

The Ciompi were the poorest social layer of the workers of textile industry in the Florence of the Renaissance. These paupers, who did not have a Guilde to represent them, nourished resentment with regard to the capacity in place whose power rested on their work, the Art of the wool (establishment of textile manufacture being the economic sector of the prosperity of Florence).

In 1378, they launched the Revolt of Ciompi, a short insurrection of the popular class left for account, the rabble minuto , which remained a memory traumatisant for the members of the most powerful guilds (and thanks to which one can explain the support brought to the Médicis a long time later, representatives the stabilization of the Florentin order).

The revolt briefly carried to the capacity a level of democracy without preceding European in the Florence of XIVe century.

These are tensions between grassi which started rising. Members of the popular classes, called to take share with the movement of the end of June of 1378, took more importance as from July.

They presented a series of petitions to the body controlling, Signoria, claiming a more equitable fiscal policy and the invaluable capital duty of the guilds for these groups which did not have any yet. Thus on July 22nd, the most underprivileged layer was essential on the government, while placing the wool cameraman Michele di Lando, as a Gonfalonier of Justice, and exhibant their banner (political symbol of existence) in Palazzo della Signoria. The Revolutionists of the Republic florentine were supported by the radical members of the Arti minori, the guilds traditionally without capacity. They extended the privileges of the guild to Ciompi, and for the first time, a European government represented all the classes of the company, although briefly. But in a few weeks, Ciompi were disillusioned, when the new government failed in the execution of all their utopian requests. The conflicts of interests between minor guilds and Ciompi became obvious.

They were reversed by most preserving of the company florentine, when the large ones and small guilds linked themselves to restore the former order, in a counter-revolution within which the knight Salverstro de Medici played a crucial role of repression.

August 31st, a great group of Ciompi had met on the Piazza della Signoria was easily dispersed by the major and minor guilds which had linked themselves for the occasion. In reaction to this revolutionary episode, the very new guild of Ciompi was abolished and during 4 years, the domination of the most powerful guilds was restored. the History of Florence of Machiavel represents harvest with a series of imagined debates and speeches bringing back the positions of the protagonists, according to the point of view of this champion of the stability of the State… After the Great Plague, during second half of XIVe century, the similar events chamboulèrent political Europe largely: the most oppressed classes fought for righter conditions. These events were seen by the dominant Church and classes like a phenomenon of return to the natural order of God.

(To be compared with the Rebellion of Jack Cade of 1381 in England and the Jacquerie S Frenchwomen of 1358 in France and the revolts country).

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