The 14th century marked the beginning of the Renaissance or “rebirth” of the political, economic, cultural, and artistic world from the Middle Ages. This rebirth promoted a rediscovery of classical philosophy, humanism, which shaped Florence and Siena’s society. As Florence and Siena grew, they became primarily influential in the Early Renaissance, from their jurisdiction to economic culture. In brief, Florence and Siena developed affluent, cultured civilizations, defining their political and artistic styles. This effect differed between Florence and Siena throughout the trecento period.
Florence was a republic government of three major branches and multiple parties from elected offices and committees to serve the Florentine Republic. The
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The Nine is a "rotating group of representatives chosen from the city's leading families" (Mac Farland), typically a council of merchants and bankers. This council functioned as the central government for law-making and regulations and had the power to appoint officials and judges. Moreover, Siena became a wealthy city because of large international banks run by wealthy Sienese families. Wealthy merchants and financiers rose to status, and population growth occurred partly through immigration from other parts of Italy and Europe. This influx of people profoundly impacted the city's culture and economy and contributed to the growth of trades and industries, primarily in agriculture. As the culture developed, art patrons ranged from wealthy Sienese families for their chapels to The Nine/Nove deciding the city's layout, "selecting committees to oversee large public projects and subsidizing the decoration of churches" (Mac Farland). Another notable development in Siena's society during the 14th century was the role of religion in public life. The city's religious traditions significantly shaped its culture and politics, and the Church maintained a powerful presence there. Though Siena was prosperous, the Black Death made society's life …show more content…
When the Black Death occurred, "wars with their Florentine neighbors kept the government from accumulating an excess of wealth for civic projects" (Davis). The decline of their resources to their economic changes related to taxation and labor caused the trading industry to fall and survived individuals to flee. The Nine's attempts to recover Siena from the Black Death failed, leading the government to fall underneath another power towards the fifteenth century. Florence had similar struggles to the Black Death as Siena but recovered quicker from the plague. The Black Death shook the Florentine government, having the Ciompi Revolt, the rebellion of unrepresented laborers unable to partake in the government, but overthrown by the Signoria. Individuals could climb to the social status to inherit wealth either consciously or unfairly because there was no one else to inherit the fortune. Of the Black Death effects, art became even more significant for Siena and Florence to stimulate the religion of Christianity based on devotional-based images and government authority. Aside from the negative impact on Florence and Siena, they thrived artistically from various artists based on their influence on culture and the rise of