The economy of Renaissance Florence / Richard A. Goldthwaite.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Goldthwaite, Richard A.

Series:

ACLS Humanities E-Book.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Renaissance--Italy--Florence.

Renaissance.

Florence (Italy)--Economic conditions.

Florence (Italy).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xviii, 649 p. ) ill., maps ;

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Baltimore : Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Richard A. Goldthwaite, a leading economic historian of the Italian Renaissance, has spent his career studying the Florentine economy. In this magisterial work, Goldthwaite brings together a lifetime of research and insight on the subject, clarifying and explaining the complex workings of Florence's commercial, banking, and artisan sectors. Florence was one of the most industrialized cities in medieval Europe, thanks to its thriving textile industries. The importation of raw materials and the exportation of finished cloth necessitated the creation of commercial and banking practices that extended far beyond Florence's boundaries. Part I situates Florence within this wider international context and describes the commercial and banking networks through which the city's merchant-bankers operated. Part II focuses on the urban economy of Florence itself, including various industries, merchants, artisans, and investors. It also evaluates the role of government in the economy, the relationship of the urban economy to the region, and the distribution of wealth throughout the society. While political, social, and cultural histories of Florence abound, none focuses solely on the economic history of the city. The Economy of Renaissance Florence offers both a systematic description of the city's major economic activities and a comprehensive overview of its economic development from the late Middle Ages through the Renaissance to 1600.

Contents:

Intro

Contents

List of Tables, Figures, and Maps

Preface

Introduction: The Commercial Revolution

Economic Growth and Development in Italy to 1300

Trade with the Levant

Links to the North

The Tuscan Towns

Florence

Rise to Predominance

The Dynamics of Growth

PART I: INTERNATIONAL MERCHANT BANKING

1 The Network

Performance

Structures

The Center

2 The Shifting Geography of Commerce

Northwestern Europe

Naples and Southern Italy

The Western Mediterranean

Central Italy and Rome

Venice, the Adriatic, and the Levant

Central Europe

3 Banking and Finance

Banking

The International Exchange Market

Government Finance

PART II: THE URBAN ECONOMY

4 The Textile Industries

General Performance

Business Organization

Production

Recapitulation: Wool, Silk, and the Economy

5 Artisans, Shopkeepers, Workers

The Work Force

Performance of the Artisan Sector

6 Banking and Credit

Banking Institutions through the Fifteenth Century

Performance of the Banking Sector

Banking outside of Banks

New Directions in the Sixteenth Century

7 Contexts

Government and the Economy

The Region and the City

Private Wealth

Conclusion

Economic Culture

Attitudes and Behavior

Notions about the Economy

The Economy in the Short Run

A Final Judgment

Appendix: Changing Values of the Florin

Index

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0-8018-9688-6

OCLC:

549522421

Publisher Number:

2027/heb08948 hdl