What was the political structure of the Italian states during the Renaissance?

Question

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Answer 1

Almost all political government of the Italian states came in the form of autonomous states or principalities, even though they were technically under the domain of the Holy Roman emperor. Some states, like Florence, considered themselves inheritors of the Republic of Rome, although that was not quite accurate. In fact, Florence was run by an oligarchy of wealthy men from merchant families. Because commerce and municipal government were so closely tied together (what was best for the merchants was best for the city), there was often a contest for power and influence on the government. A client-patron relationship like that of Old Rome existed, with the beneficiaries of patronage expected to show their gratitude through political support. The Medici family came to rule Florence through their influence as bankers to the papacy, headed first by Cosimo and then by his grandson Lorenzo. Both of them earned the reputation of generous patrons and civic humanists who wielded far more power within the city than any rightfully accorded their positions on the Signoria. The maritime republics similarly claimed their status as republics but in reality were governed by a small minority of wealthy merchants, with city councils headed by a doge. The maritime republics of Venice and Genoa were wealthy from a long-term trade industry, including long-distance trade, but this often brought them into competition with one another, instigating a series of wars over the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.