The Politics of Exclusion in Early Renaissance Florence

312 Pages·2007·2.425 MB·English

by  F. Ricciardelli

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THE POLITICS OF EXCLUSION IN
EARLY RENAISSANCE FLORENCE
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LATE MEDIEVAL AND EARLY MODERN STUDIES
Editorial Board under the auspices of
The Faculty of Arts, University of Melbourne,
and the Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Ian Moulton, Chair Arizona State University
Frederick Kiefer University of Arizona
Stephanie Trigg University of Melbourne
Charles Zika University of Melbourne
Advisory Board
Jaynie Anderson University of Melbourne
John Cashmere La Trobe University
Megan Cassidy Welch University of Melbourne
Albrecht Classen University of Arizona
Robert W. Gaston La Trobe University
John Griffiths University of Melbourne
Anthony Gully Arizona State University
Bill Kent Monash University
Anne Scott Northern Arizona University
Juliann Vitullo Arizona State University
Emil Volek Arizona State University
Retha Warnicke Arizona State University
Previously published volumes in this series are listed at the back of the book.
VOLUME 12
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THE POLITICS OF EXCLUSION IN
EARLY RENAISSANCE FLORENCE
by
Fabrizio Ricciardelli
H

F

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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Ricciardelli, Fabrizio
The politics of exclusion in early Renaissance Florence. -
(Late medieval and early modern studies ; v. 12)
1. Exile (Punishment) - Italy - Florence - History - To
1500 2. Florence (Italy) - Politics and government - To
1421 3. Florence (Italy) - Politics and government -
1421-1737
I. Title
320.9'4551'0902

ISBN-13: 9782503523897

© 2007, Brepols Publishers n.v., Turnhout, Belgium
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior permission of the publisher.
D/2007/0095/110
ISBN: 978-2-503-52389-7
Printed in the E.U. on acid-free paper
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To Federica and Elena
‘Omnis homines, patres conscripti, qui de rebus dubiis consultant, ab odio,
amicitia, ira atque misericordia vacuos esse decet. Haud facile animus vero
providet, ubi illa officiunt, neque quisquam omnium lubidini simul et usui
paruit. Ubi intenderis ingenium, valet; si lubido possidet, ea dominatur,
animus nihil valet.’
—Sallust, De Coniuratione Catilinae (LI, 1–4)

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CONTENTS
Acknowledgements ix
Abbreviations xi
Preface xiii
Introduction 1
Chapter 1: The Legal Forms of Exclusion 7
The Language of Social Conflict 7
The Language of Law 36
Conclusions 57
Chapter 2: An Instrument of Political Resolution 59
Factions and Violence 60
New Strategies, Old Methods 85
Conclusions 105
Chapter 3: Toward the Overcoming of Violence? 107
Without Any Hope: In the Countryside 107
Refinement of Sentences 136
Conclusions 155
Chapter 4: Between Power Games and Conspiracies 157
Demonizing to Govern 158
Escape: The Final Solution 181
Conclusions 198
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Chapter 5: The Legitimization of Practice 201
The New Perspective of Subversion 202
Political Coalitions in Contrast 224
Conclusions 248
Conclusion 251
Bibliography 257
Glossary 277
Index 283
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book is based on a doctoral thesis for the University of Warwick,
completed in 2004. It is a pleasure to acknowledge the many forms of
assistance I have received in the preparation of this research, and in
particular I am grateful to my supervisor Humfrey Butters, because I was
privileged to profit constantly from his incomparable knowledge, his invaluable
guidance, and his understanding of historical problems; for his friendship and
the benefit of his experienced advice I continue to be grateful. Giovanni
Cherubini, too, as usual, has been extremely generous with help and suggestions
from the beginning to the end of this project. His information, advice, and
criticism have contributed to shape not only this work, but also the way in which
I now look at historical problems.
Among those who have helped me in this work, I must mention Alison
Brown, who was unfailingly generous with her time and who gave me precious
advice, and Marcello Fantoni, whose encouragement, personal support, and
friendly assistance have been as precious as his historical competence. I should
also like to acknowledge my gratitude to Franco Franceschi for his constant
encouragement and constructive criticism throughout the writing of this book.
At the stage of transition from thesis to book I was very grateful for the
comments and suggestions of Samuel Kline Cohn, Jr, Richard Goldthwaite,
John Law, and Luca Molà: I have benefited from opportunities for discussion
with them and also from their expert advice with regard to particular problems.
I would like to record my gratitude to Stefano U. Baldassarri, Lorenzo Fabbri,
Riccardo Fubini, Alessandro Polcri, Jean-Claude Maire Vigueur, Sergio Raveggi,
Franek Sznura, Sergio Tognetti, Bruno Wanrooij, and Andrea Zorzi for offering
valuable suggestions in our recurrent discussions.
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x Acknowledgements
Among institutions, I wish to acknowledge the invaluable co-operation and
service given throughout my work by the staff of archives and libraries I have
frequented during the years of this research: in particular the personnel of the
Archivio di Stato in Florence, together with the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale,
the Berenson Library of the Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance
Studies at Villa i Tatti, and the Kunsthistorisches Institut, and most of all the
members of the Bodleian Library in Oxford and the Sterling Library in New
Haven.
For the completion of this book, my warmest thanks must go to Brepols
Publishers, and in particular to Simon Forde and Ian Moulton. I would like to
express my appreciation for the kind and meticulous assistance I have received
from Heather M. Padgen in helping me with the copyediting.
The final word belongs to Federica, who has patiently supported and lived
with this project for years, and who has given and taught me more than I can say.
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