EXCLUSIVE WEBINAR | "Florence: A City of Merchants" 

Presented by Dr. Fabrizio Ricciardelli
with Additional Commentary by Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

The merchant class that took power in Florence in August 1282 gained strength from the inexorable economic and demographic growth of the century’s early decades. The Florentine economy was based on three main activities, banking, industry, and trade. In spite of the fact that the city had no direct outlet to the sea, it still managed to become one of the most important markets in Italy and in Europe. Florentine merchants purchased wool in England, cloth in Flanders, and dye substances and alum, an essential mineral for fixing colors, in northern France and the East. Thanks to this huge network they processed, dyed and decorated textiles to sell as finished goods throughout the known world. The first half of the fourteenth century was the period of greatest splendor for the Wool Manufacturers Guild: it employed about three hundred men who produced approximately one hundred thousand bolts of cloth each year. Alongside the larger businesses, there were others that were more strictly local. Even if at different levels, all guilds in Florence were public patrons of art and provided funding for charity.

The webinar will include a 45-minute lecture followed by 15-minutes of Q&A.

Please note:

• Your participation is confirmed once you have purchased your ticket. You will receive the Zoom link to join the presentation circa 30 minutes before the start time.
• VIDEO RECORDING of the webinar will be available for unlimited streaming at your convenience for 7 days after the event.

Fabrizio Ricciardelli earned his undergraduate degree in Medieval History at the University of Florence (Italy) and his Ph.D. at the University of Warwick (England). Since 2004 hew was professor of "Renaissance History” at Georgetown University. Between 2010-2012 he was Academic Director of the Georgetown University program in Florence. In 2010 he became Chairman of the scientific committee "Villa Le Balze Studies”. In 2012 he was appointed Director of the Kent State University program in Florence. His academic experience includes journal articles, conference presentations, and several reviews. He has authored and co-authored numerous books on institutional and political history. His main field of study is Italian city-states in the social, economic, political, and cultural landscape of Medieval Europe. Ricciardelli has recently embarked upon the study of the relationship between emotions and passions as forms of political persuasion in Renaissance Italy. His latest publication are A Short History of Florence (2019) and The Medici. The Power of a Dynasty (2021).