Fat people

In the 12th century, processes eroding feudal relations took place in Florence . On the one hand, the rapid development of trade and crafts leads to the fact that money is concentrated among artisans and merchants, and not from the feudal nobility. On the other hand, the old political relations are no longer satisfied with a new, wealthy estate, and at the beginning of the 12th century in Florence, on the basis of the formed city ​​commune , popular democracy arises. Thanks to the development of trade and political reforms, by the middle of the 13th century, Florence became the leading city of medieval Europe, the only European city minting its own coins. De facto Florence gains independence from monarchical institutions and forms the Florentine Republic ^[2] .

The subsequent struggle between the Guelphs and Ghibellines in the second half of the 13th century led to the destruction of popular democracy. In September 1260, having won a decisive victory at the Battle of Montaerti , the power in Florence was seized by the Ghibellines - adherents of the emperor. Their domination, coupled with the restoration of the emperor’s power in Florence, lasts six years, until 1266. However, the expulsion of the Ghibellines from Florence in November 1266 did not lead to the restoration of popular democracy in full. Power in Florence actually became oligarchic and passed to the leaders of leading craft workshops ^[3] .

At the head of the workshops were elected "consuls", but only the "senior workshops" ( Italian: Arti maggiori ), which in the second half of the 13th century were the most profitable, concentrated political power in the city. The citizens of Florence, who are in these workshops, turned out to be both more wealthy and more influential, forming a separate estate , which was called the "fat people". Accordingly, the inhabitants of Florence, attributed to other workshops, and the urban poor turned out to be "skinny people." The system of guild self-government that arose in Florence spread to other regions of Italy and influenced other Italian cities. The term "fat people" has thus become used outside of Florence. Workshop self-government lasted until the 15th century, when in Florence power was concentrated among the Medici family ^[4] .

There were seven “senior workshops”, which were fat people: the Kalimala workshop, which traded and dyed cloth, Lana, which engaged in the sale and manufacture of woolen fabrics, Cambio, which exchanged money, and Port Santa Maria ”, Engaged in silk trade, as well as workshops for fur products manufacturers, doctors and pharmacists, judges and notaries. One representative from each workshop formed a priory , the main city government body, and de facto the three richest workshops - Kalimala, Lana and Cambio - had the greatest influence in the Priory ^[5] .

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