... been founded by Roman settlers in 1 BC.2 However, at various points throughout the Renaissance, she surpassed the city of Rome in many respects. Scholars have asserted that her primacy over Rome in the early Renaissance period was primarily due to her pre-Renaissance success as a trade capital of the West. With the arrival of the fourteenth century, Florence was the leading financial centre in Italy, perhaps partly due to the high intellectual capacity of its inhabitants.3 As a democracy, Florence was far superior than any contemporary Italian city. All inhabitants had the right to be involved in politics; many partook in some form of governmental office. It is also important to note that as Florence was expanding as a city of trade and finance, she was at the same time enveloping other nearby townships. Florence was beginning a process of conurbation and of rapid growth, which naturally increased the ...

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