The Italian Renaissance | The Signori - Renaissance Princes (Lecture 15)

Lecture 15: The republics of Florence and Venice represented only one model of statecraft that flourished during the Renaissance. The more usual political structure was the principality—princely regimes or despotisms, such as Urbino and Milan. Although feudalism had set only shallow roots in northern Italy, the traditions of monarchical rule in Europe were strong during the Middle Ages. Princes (in Italian, signori, or lords) received their sovereignty either from the Holy Roman Emperor and were seen as Ghibelline or from the pope and, hence, were Guelf. These rulers in theory were imperial or papal vicars, acting in their overlord’s name; in reality, they were usually independent despots whose families established hereditary rule sustained by force.

Principalities often developed brilliant courts that adopted a form of Humanism suited to their values: The Roman Empire was privileged over the republic; the educated, articulate citizen was a loyal counselor to the prince rather than a fractious magistrate; and the praise and glorification of the ruler became a recurring image in art.

Secondary Sources:
Lauro Martines, Power and Imagination: City-States in Renaissance Italy.

Supplementary Reading:
John Larner, The Lords of Romagna: Romagnol Society and the Origins of the Signorie.
Werner L. Gundersheimer, Ferrara: The Style of a Renaissance Despotism.

Lecture 16: https://rumble.com/v4xls1e-the-italian-renaissance-urbino-lecture-16.html