There were seven greater Arti of Florence, six of whcih were commercial. The Arte della Lana dealt in homemade cloth and cooperated with the other corporations of bankers and merchants and the city authorities in the work of administration. In this particular instance they helped to assess taxes for clearing the commune of debt.

In the name of God, amen. We, Albert de Corsino, Astoldo Iochi, Gerard Giraldi, Astancollo Astancolli, Alioto Rodighieri, Pelacane Arrighi, Abbate Erbolotti, Gualterotto Bardi, Buono Vernacci, Odarigo Davanzi, Buonaiunta Cambiati, and Reniero Montancollo, elected and appointed by the common council of the Commune of Florence, in the time of the lordship of Inghirrami de Magreto, by the grace of God, Podestà of Florence according to the mandate of the same Council gathered, according to custom, at the sound of the bell on March 20th in the palace of the Commune of Florence; at which council there were also present at the wish and command of the said Podestà the consuls of the merchants, bankers, of the Arte della Lana, the priors of the crafts, and also twenty men from every sestiere of the city, in which Council it was said, confirmed, and agreed that twelve men should be elected, two from each sestiere, who ought to have full power and authority over all the consuls who were in office when the tower of Semifonte was destroyed, and over all other greater consuls of the city, and over all court officials, castellans, syndics, procurators, and prefects who have been in office from the time of the said consuls up to the first of last January, and over those who have and hold the new and old walls of the city of Florence, and who keep them, and also over those who have and hold the public squares of the Commune wherever they are and who keep them; and over all and each they should have full and free authority to speak, pronounce, and impose (their commands) for clearing the debt of the Commune of Florence; wherefore we, etc., impose, etc. The greater abbey of Florence, i.e., St. Mary's for 166 fathoms of wall: , 191. 17 solidi. 6 denarii.

Source.

From: P. Santini, ed., Documenti dell'Antica Costituzione del Comune di Firenze, Vol. I, p. 386, in Documenti di Storia Italiana, Tome X (Florence, 1895); reprinted in Roy C. Cave & Herbert H. Coulson, eds., A Source Book for Medieval Economic History, (Milwaukee: The Bruce Publishing Co., 1936; reprint ed., New York: Biblo & Tannen, 1965), pp. 211-212.

Scanned by Jerome S. Arkenberg, Cal. State Fullerton. The text has been modernized by Prof. Arkenberg.

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© Paul Halsall, October 1998
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