Florence in Transition: The decline of the commune
Description:... With the waning of the Middle Ages, the life of the Italian polis underwent transformation. The leisurely decentralization of the medieval commune, which had its roots in feudalism, the code of chivalry, and the religious faith, gave place to the tight despotism of the fourteenth century. This in turn yielded democratized government and finally to a stricter legalistic and puritanical rule. Marvin Becker's two-volume study of Florence examines this metamorphosis and establishes its relationship to the emergence of the Renaissance state. -- Book jacket.
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