Jarrah
James, Bella Rogers, Caitlin Graham and Kaitlyn Patterson
The flourishing urban civilisation prior to the Black Death
in 1348 was based upon the growing economic prosperity that can be found in
Italy, in particular Florence and Venice which would come to be capitals of the
Renaissance to come. However powerful
and influential these two cities were, both relied and built their economies on
different foundations. Florence built repute through the establishment of an
effective banking system that allowed for growth through the merchants and
guilds. The close relationship between the leaders of Florence and the papacy
meant greater military and political support and also allowed for the newly
improved banking system to ‘act as the pope’s fiscal (tax) agent. This action
allowed some merchant companies to grow and transform into the banking
profession.
The second economic growth industry in Florence at this time
was in wool. Wool in Florence within this period is described as the most
luxurious and expensive of commodities. The trade prices on wool allowed for
the industry to expand, encompassing a larger amount of the population and
lowering unemployment rates, due the arduous production processes.
Unlike Florence, Venice did not find its economic niche in
wool. The Venetian industry was built on trade, which during this period relied
heavily upon the construction of ships and administration of fleets. Through this industry Venice was able to gain
independence from the Byzantine Empire by 1000.
The flourishing urban civilisation of the proto-Renaissance
era can also be seen through the expansion of population in and around Florence
and Venice, through the construction of public spaces and buildings such as
churches, guildhalls, government buildings, palaces, hospitals, walls, and
roads. These constructions were erected to match the growing prosperity among
the merchant classes. In particular, walls highlighted the growing city
population as walls were built to replace the pre-existing roman boundaries
which had served as security up until this time.
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| Florence wall construction c.600-1284 |
Francis or Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374) is a
perfect example of the blossoming of the Renaissance thought in the ‘cultural
explosion’ prior to the Black Death. He
was a noted scholar, as well as poet whose extensive body of work was
significant in the development of European literature. What makes Petrarch the
ideal Renaissance man is his study of classical antiquity; he reflects on the
past to promote social reform for the future.
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| Petrarch |
In the extract letter to Posterity, Petrarch displays a then
unique exploration of human thought and mind, in particular an exploration of
himself, which was a new approach in the literary world. Petrarch’s letter
adopts a humble and self-conscious tone; he is both expressing hopefulness that
his legacy will live on through his work, and also modesty, as he recognises
that as one man, he is insignificant in the greater scheme of things. This
critical self-analysis is only one of his many works, however it shows a new
development in expression of thought. It
furthermore provided the intellectuals of later generations with inspiration, for
the examination of oneself in order to produce moral judgement became popular
amongst scholars.
Venice was originally under Byzantine rule until it gained independence when the Byzantines lost control of the area in the 9th
century. Venice’s economy was primarily based on mercantile trade, and
the building of ships, to the extent that the state funded the construction of trade convoys, and the most powerful merchants were those involved in the running of the state. In 1279 the Grand Council, made up of the city’s wealthy founding families, voted to close membership, turning the merchant elite into heredity noblemen. While any Venetian was free to make money to the degree that his or her skill allowed, excepting a few select instances, all were barred from taking part in the instrument of government unless born to it. And yet, there was little objection or resistance to this, unlike in Florence...
Florence was run by nine priori, each elected for two-month terms. Six were from the major guilds, and the remaining three were chosen from among the minor guilds. These guilds each dedicated to a given trade,
counted a large portion of the working Florentine population among their members – but not all of them. The Ciompi, labourers and wool-workers of varying skill employed by the wool merchants’ guild, but not actually members, could take no part in civic decision-making. They rose up in rebellion in 1378, compelling the Oligarchs to give them guild and citizen rights. The ciompi priori attempted to affect political change from office, but a few months later the traditional guilds took up arms, and dissolved the new ciompi guilds.
Jurists, or specialists in Roman law, the basis for many law codes throughout Italy, came to prominence in the 11th and 12th centuries, as they helped found the laws of the developing communes. Some individuals, Marsilius of Padua and Bartolus of Sassoferato, also contributed significantly concepts of political theory in the 12th and 13th centuries.
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| 14th century Venice |
The Black
Death had an enormous impact on medieval society, primarily because of a huge
loss of population. Although the number of deaths due to the Black Death is
disputed, King estimates is as between one and two thirds of the population
throughout Western Europe. This significant loss of life had a profound impact
on the economy, as a huge number of labourers had been killed, leaving
positions vacant. This saw an increased demand for workers, and a consequential
rise in the average wage of the peasants. It also significantly impacted on the
feudal system, as lords found themselves without tenants to cultivate their
land, and the costs of rent dropped dramatically as a result. As you can imagine,
without the workers to tend the land, there was a marked drop in the production
of agricultural goods, and the revenue accrued.
The nature
of the plague meant society was literally helpless to resist it. Medicine was
not of the standard required to combat the plague, and the methods of
prevention were often far-fetched and fanciful. Loss of population meant many
homes and even cities were abandoned, with the occupants having either fled or
perished. Furthermore, because of such exposure to death, society became rather
blasé the sight of it. In a first had account written by Agnolo Di Tura, he wrote that: “There were none that wept for any
death, for everyone expected to die. And so many died, that everyone thought it
to be the end of the world.”
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| Monks with plague, late 14th century illuminated
manuscript |
Whilst the Black Death has significant social and economic impact, it
was not the sole causative factor in the end of the medieval era and the
beginning of the renaissance era. As evidenced by Florence and Venice, the
social reform of the renaissance was already occurring in a pre-plague Europe.
The historian Joseph Byrne sums this concept up nicely when he states; “the
Black Death…was much more of a catalyst of change in the West than an
instigator of it.”
A plague
doctor. The mask was based on a popular theory of the time that the plague was
carried by infected, bad air. This mask apparently filtered the air, thus
enabled proximity to the infected.
Blog
question: in your opinion, did the Black Death merely enhance the significant
change already occurring in the late medieval era, or did it have its own
independent social and economic consequences?
