Europe in the Sixteenth Century 1494-1598 Part 38

_N.B._ Signory lasted till 1530.

I. Under Lorenzo.

1472. Burd, _Machiavelli_, 81, 85, 89; Perrens' _Histoire de Florence, Depuis la domination des Medicis_, 1, 362, 445, 523; Armstrong, _Lorenzo de' Medici_.

Arti reduced to 12 by suppression of 9 Arti minori.

1480. After Pazzi Conspiracy.

_Consiglio de Settanta_ (College of 70), appointed by Signoria with power to fill up its own vacancies from those who had held office of Gonfalonier.

_Its work_ (_a_) To permanently nominate to offices (a mano).

(_b_) Appoint the _Otto di Pratica_ which superseded the old Dieci di Liberta e Pace.

This College, originally appointed for five years, was continually reappointed.

In 1490. This College intrusted some of its powers to a smaller Committee of 17, of whom Lorenzo was one; and this Committee

(_a_) Appointed Accopiatori to nominate to offices.

(_b_) Supervised every branch of administration.

II. 1494. Savonarola's Reforms. Cf. Burd, p. 94. Guicciardini, _Storia Fiorentia_, iii. 120. Villari, _Savonarola_, p. 257. Perrens, ii.

c. 3. _Cambridge Mod. Hist._, vol. i. p. 158.

(1) Temporary.--A Parlamento summoned, who appointed 20 Accopiatori (_Governo de' Venti_). These filled up magistracies for the year and prepared a Squittino for the future.

(2) Permanent.--Const.i.tution formed in imitation of Venice. Consiglio del Popolo and del Commune and Parlamento abolished.

=A.= _Consiglio Generale_, or Maggiore, formed of all eligible 'benefiziati' citizens (all those of age of 29 whose father, grandfather, or great-grandfather had been veduto _or_ seduto for one of three greater offices, about 3000). But if the number of the 'benefiziati' exceeded 1500, they were to be 'sterzati,' _i.e._ divided into 3, and ? of the whole number were to form the Consiglio for 6 months. A small number of citizens, above age of 24 and otherwise qualified, were admitted, and each year 60 eligible but neither veduto nor seduto might be elected if they received two-thirds of votes.

=B.= _Consiglio degli Ottanta_, a Senate elected out of and by Consiglio Generale for six months, must be 40 years of age.

The Senate was to advise _The Signory_ (which remained as before), and elect amba.s.sadors and commissioners to army.

The Consiglio Generale was

(1) To elect to magistracies by a complicated system of voting and selection by lot. Cf. Guicciardini, _Storia Fiorentina_, iii. 125.

(Subsequently the system of direct appointment by lot was again introduced. Cf. Guicciardini, iii. 155, 203, 235.)

(2) To hear criminal appeals from the Signory and Otto di Balia.

(3) To pa.s.s laws. The President _Il Proposto_, one of the Signory, changed every third day, laid the law before the Signory and the Collegi. If they approved it might be submitted to a _Practica_ of selected members of the Consiglio d'Ottanta. Thence it went before the Ottanta, and then to the Consiglio Generale. Here laws could not be discussed, though Signory might call on some one to speak in support, but were voted on.

=C.= Dieci di Liberta e Pace (called also Dieci di Balia), again restored in place of the Otto di Pratica. The Signory, the Courts of the Capitano and of the Podesta, the Mercatanzia, and the Otto di Balia remained as before. The Dieci di Pace e Liberta restored.

In 1498. The Courts of the Podesta and the Capitano del Popolo were restored.

This Government lasted till 1512, with these exceptions:--

(i) In 1502.

(_a_) The Gonfalonier to be elected for life, by a double system of nomination and election. Piero Soderini elected. (Guicciardini, iii. 281; Villari, _Life of Machiavelli_, ii. 102; Perrens, _Hist. Flor._ ii. 408.)

(_b_) Courts of Podesta, of the Capitano del Popolo, and of Mercatanzia abolished. Instead, the _Ruota della Justizia_ composed of five Doctors of Law with civil and criminal jurisdiction. These to be foreigners elected by Signory and the College for three years, and paid, one of whom was to be Podesta. The Mercatanzia, however, continued as a Board of Trade.

(ii) 1506. A militia inst.i.tuted at suggestion of Machiavelli.

All males from 15--50 years of age to serve, but only from the city and country district (contado) of Florence. Not from her subject cities. (Burd, 126.)

The militia placed under a new board of nine, _Nove della Milizia_, which however was under the Dieci di Liberta e Pace in time of war.

III. 1512. Return of Medici.

The const.i.tution restored as it was before the revolution of 1494, although nomination to offices lay practically in hands of the Medici, Giuliano, and Lorenzo. (Burd, 145, 148.)

IV. 1527. Re-establishment of the const.i.tution of Savonarola, 1494, except that Gonfalonier was to be elected for 13 months.

V. 1530. Final overthrow of the Republic. Perrens, _Hist. Flor._, iii. 368.

Alessandro de Medici appointed Grand Duke.

12 Reformatori elected in a Parlamento to 'reform' the State.

1. Signory abolished.

2. A Council of 200 elected for life.

3. A Senate of 48 elected for life from the 200, with powers of legislation and taxation, and appointment to offices.

4. A Privy Council of four Councillors elected for three months by 12 Accopiatori chosen out of the Senate.

These with the hereditary Grand Duke fulfilled duties of the Signory.

The Otto di Pratica } The Otto di Guardia } to be nominated by the Senate.

The Buonuomini }

All distinction between higher and lower 'arti' abolished.

The offices paid.

TAXATION.

See Napier, iii. 117. Von Reumont, i. 30. Ewart, _Cosimo de'

Medici_. Armstrong, _Lorenzo de' Medici_.