History UsefulNotes / TheCityStateEra

The capital of Savoy/Piedmont/Sardinia/Whatever was Turin.

Much of Florence's reputation came from the generous patronage of the Medici family, bankers whom, through well placed bribes and great shows of wealth and prestige, basically ran the city. It reached its apex under the patronage of Lorenze [[TheMagnificent il Magnifico]], unfortunately a combination of his generosity bankrupting the Medici bank and the timidity of his descendents slid Florence into a decline that led to a brief domination of Florence by the French and a later restoration of the old republican government. However, the Medici's had the last laugh as the Pope (Who was a Medici) granted the title of Duke of Florence and later, after the capture of Siena, Grand Duke of Tuscany.

!!'''Piedmont (1324 - 1861)'''

There's this former Italian state that was one of the most powerful and indeed was the one that ended up uniting the country in the UsefulNotes/{{Wars of Italian Independence}}. So why is nobody ever quite sure what its name is? Piedmont is the approximate name of the region it ruled, in the top left corner of the Italian peninsula. Savoy is the name of the royal house which ruled Piedmont at the time and that of a nearby region which (even more confusingly) said royal family traded away to the French as part of a BatmanGambit during the wars of unification along with Nice. Therefore, the House of Savoy didn't actually rule Savoy at the time they united Italy. This state is also often called the Kingdom of Sardinia, the reason for this being that the Dukes of Savoy obtained the island because it gave them a royal dignity (the right to call themselves Kings rather than Dukes). They looked on it as very much a consolation prize (they actually wanted Sicily, and did briefly possess it before realizing that Sicily was too hard to govern from the north, so they swapped it for Sardinia). Sardinia did come in handy during UsefulNotes/TheNapoleonicWars, however, when the French conquered Piedmont (as in the bit on continental Italy) and the royal family (the aforementioned House of Savoy) fled to Sardinia, which was only part of the ''Kingdom'' of Sardinia, but now the only actual part that wasn't conquered. Confused yet?

Genoa possessed the island of Corsica for many years, but failed to put down a radical republican independence movement led by Pasquale Paoli - so they gave up and sold the island to France. The French succeeded, but in the process Corsican revolutionary ideas and a certain Corsican named Napoleon Buonaparte spread to France. Of course the result was the French Revolution and the General Bonaparte who was instrumental in conquering Italy for the French Revolutionaries, who overthrew Genoa, proclaimed a revolutionary Ligurian Republic. After the Congress of Vienna, the region was merged with the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia. NiceJobBreakingItHero?

(You may have noticed a glaring omission from this list of major Italian cities. For the region ruled from UsefulNotes/{{Rome}} in this time period, see '''The PapalStates'''.)

It was referred to as a "mixed republic", with a monarch-like ''doge'' (who lost much of his powers over time), a Senate and a Major Council made up of key aristocrats, the latter being the real ones in charge of the country.

!!'''Main/{{Florence}} (1115 – 1532)'''

There's this former Italian state that was one of the most powerful and indeed was the one that ended up uniting the country in the UsefulNotes/{{Wars of Italian Independence}}. So why is nobody ever quite sure what its name is? Piedmont is the approximate name of the region it ruled, in the top left corner of the Italian peninsula. Savoy is the name of the royal house which ruled Piedmont at the time and that of a nearby region which (even more confusingly) said royal family traded away to the French as part of a BatmanGambit during the wars of unification along with Nice. Therefore, the House of Savoy didn't actually rule Savoy at the time they united Italy. This state is also often called the Kingdom of Sardinia, the reason for this being that the Dukes of Savoy obtained the island because it gave them a royal dignity (the right to call themselves Kings rather than Dukes). They looked on it as very much a consolation prize (they actually wanted Sicily, and did briefly possess it before realizing that Sicily was too hard to govern from the north, so they swapped it for Sardinia). Sardinia did come in handy during the NapoleonicWars, however, when the French conquered Piedmont (as in the bit on continental Italy) and the royal family (the aforementioned House of Savoy) fled to Sardinia, which was only part of the ''Kingdom'' of Sardinia, but now the only actual part that wasn't conquered. Confused yet?

It was only officially known as the "Kingdom of the Two Sicilies" after the NapoleonicWars, but that had been used informally as a name for many years previously. Part of the reason why it had a poor record in war was because it had been a bargaining chip in many of the wars between the great powers and its people were indifferent towards defending their king - because he was probably a foreigner who'd been installed twenty years ago and wouldn't be any different from the one they'd be given by whoever won the war.

Creator/NiccoloMachiavelli lived in and wrote about this period in ''ThePrince'' and ''DiscoursesOnLivy''.

!!'''You Ain't Nothing But A Hound, Doge: the Most Serene Republic of Venice aka The Venetian Republic (697-1797)'''

This state centred on the city of UsefulNotes/{{Venice}}, but owned mainland territories in the modern day countries of Greece, Slovenia, Croatia and Montenegro. Once even ruled UsefulNotes/{{Cyprus}} (the war for which was the backdrop to ''Theatre/{{Othello}}''). Had a large merchant fleet, a powerful navy and controlled a lot of trade to the Middle East for much of its history (including silk, spices, and [[BreadEggsMilkSquick slaves]]).

!!'''Main/{{Florence}}'''

!!'''UsefulNotes/SanMarino (301-present day)'''

!!'''The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (1811-1861)'''

!!'''UsefulNotes/SanMarino'''

Now pay attention, because this is about as confusing as BritainVersusTheUK.

In spite of the confusion, the most important figure to come from Piedmont (let's just call it that for these purposes) was Camillo Benso, count of Cavour. He was the mastermind of Italian Unification, although he died before the project was complete. Cavour was, in many ways, Italy's Bismarck. Although he was only the Prime Minister of Piedmont and not the King (again, like Bismarck, who was a Chancellor), he was pretty much in charge of the kingdom's affairs. Cavour took it upon himself to industrialize Piedmont, largely by building railroads and encouraging factories, with the aid of British loans with which to build infrastructure. Once he had built Piedmont up enough to be able to project military force, he sided with the British, French, and Ottomans against Russia in the Crimean War. This had the effect of gaining an ally in the form of France's leader, Napoleon III (not to be confused with Napoleon Bonaparte, his uncle.)

The only Italian city-state republic of the Renaissance to survive to the present day practically unchanged. It escaped the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars because Napoleon admired it, considering it a model of good governance. Due to its sheltering Garibaldi during the wars of unification, the Kingdom of Italy honored its wishes to remain independent, as did Mussolini. As is traditional for Italian republics, it elects its leaders on very short terms, a matter of months. Bizarrely it was also the first place in the world to democratically elect a Communist government, and the Communists dutifully stood down when they were voted out a few years later.

!!'''San Marino'''

The only Italian city-state republic of the Renaissance to survive to the present day practically unchanged. It escaped the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars because Napoleon admired it, considering it a model of good governance. As is traditional for Italian republics, it elects its leaders on very short terms, a matter of months. Bizarrely it was also the first place in the world to democratically elect a Communist government, and the Communists dutifully stood down when they were voted out a few years later.

There's this former Italian state that was one of the most powerful and indeed was the one that ended up uniting the country in the UsefulNotes/{{Wars of Italian Independence}}. So why is nobody ever quite sure what its name is? Piedmont is the approximate name of the region it ruled, in the top left corner of the Italian peninsula. Savoy is the name of the royal house which ruled Piedmont at the time and that of a nearby region which (even more confusingly) said royal family traded away to the French as part of a BatmanGambit during the wars of unification along with Nice. Therefore, the House of Savoy didn't actually rule Savoy at the time they united Italy. This state is also often called the Kingdom of Sardinia, the reason for this being that the Dukes of Savoy obtained the island because it gave them a royal dignity (the right to call themselves Kings rather than Dukes). They looked on it as very much a consolation prize (they actually wanted Sicily, and did briefly possess it before realising that Sicily was too hard to govern from the north, so they swapped it for Sardinia). Sardinia did come in handy during the NapoleonicWars, however, when the French conquered Piedmont (as in the bit on continental Italy) and the royal family (the aforementioned House of Savoy) fled to Sardinia, which was only part of the ''Kingdom'' of Sardinia, but now the only actual part that wasn't conquered. Confused yet?

This state centred on the city of UsefulNotes/{{Venice}}, but owned mainland territories in the modern day countries of Greece, Slovenia, Croatia and Montenegro. Once even ruled UsefulNotes/{{Cyprus}} (the war for which was the backdrop to ''Theatre/{{Othello}}''). Had a large merchant fleet, a powerful navy and controlled a lot of trade to the Middle East for much of its history (including silk, spices, and [[BreadEggsMilkSquick slaves]]).

This state centred on the city of UsefulNotes/{{Venice}}, but owned mainland territories in the modern day countries of Greece, Slovenia, Croatia and Montenegro. Once even ruled UsefulNotes/{{Cyprus}} (the war for which was the backdrop to ''Theatre/{{Othello}}''). Had a large merchant fleet, a powerful navy and controlled a lot of trade to the Middle East for much of its history (including silk, spices, and [[BreadEggsMilkSquick sex slaves]]).

This state centred on the city of UsefulNotes/{{Venice}}, but owned mainland territories in the modern day countries of Greece, Slovenia, Croatia and Montenegro. Once even ruled UsefulNotes/{{Cyprus}} (the war for which was the backdrop to ''Theatre/{{Othello}}''). Had a large merchant fleet, a powerful navy and controlled a lot of trade to the Middle East for much of its history (including silk, spices, and [[Bread,Eggs,Milk,Squick sex slaves]]).

This state centred on the city of UsefulNotes/{{Venice}}, but owned mainland territories in the modern day countries of Greece, Slovenia, Croatia and Montenegro. Once even ruled UsefulNotes/{{Cyprus}} (the war for which was the backdrop to ''Theatre/{{Othello}}''). Had a large merchant fleet, a powerful navy and controlled a lot of trade to the Middle East for much of its history (including silk, spices, and [[Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick sex slaves]]).

This state centred on the city of UsefulNotes/{{Venice}}, but owned mainland territories in the modern day countries of Greece, Slovenia, Croatia and Montenegro. Once even ruled UsefulNotes/{{Cyprus}} (the war for which was the backdrop to ''Theatre/{{Othello}}''). Had a large merchant fleet, a powerful navy and controlled a lot of trade to the Middle East for much of its history (including silk, spices, and [[breadmilksquick sex slaves]]).

This state centred on the city of UsefulNotes/{{Venice}}, but owned mainland territories in the modern day countries of Greece, Slovenia, Croatia and Montenegro. Once even ruled UsefulNotes/{{Cyprus}} (the war for which was the backdrop to ''Theatre/{{Othello}}''). Had a large merchant fleet, a powerful navy and controlled a lot of trade to the Middle East for much of its history (including silk, spice, and breadmilksquick/sex slaves).

This state centred on the city of UsefulNotes/{{Venice}}, but owned mainland territories in the modern day countries of Greece, Slovenia, Croatia and Montenegro. Once even ruled UsefulNotes/{{Cyprus}} (the war for which was the backdrop to ''Theatre/{{Othello}}''). Had a large merchant fleet, a powerful navy and controlled a lot of trade to the Middle East for much of its history (including sex slaves).

Eventually invaded by Napoleon, the Austrians took all its foreign possessions in the 1797 Peace of Leoben.

Much of Florence's reputation came from the generous patronage of the Medici family, bankers whom, through well placed bribes and great shows of wealth and prestige, basically ran the city. It reached its apex under the patronage of Lorenze [[TheMagnificent il Magnifico]], unfortunately a combination of his generosity bankrupting the Medici bank and the timidity of his descendents slid Florence into a decline that led to a brief domination of Florence by the French and a later restoration of the old republican government. However, the Medici's had the last laugh as the Pope(Who was a Medici) granted the title of Duke of Florence and later, after the capture of Siena, Grand Duke of Tuscany.

Fun fact: Jeans derive their name from the city of Genoa. The durable cloth used to make these pants derives from the fabric used by Genoese sailors to cover the goods they stored on the docks.

!!'''The Republic of Genoa'''

!!'''Piedmont'''

For much of its history, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}} was an expression. Before '''1861'', Italy was a collection of city states and principalities, frequently a target for foreign powers. Many of these weren't actually monarchies, but republics ruled by a collection of oligarchies. The city states were mostly rich and concentrated (relying on trade), centres of art and culture, a little like UsefulNotes/{{Dubai}} without the sand.

!!'''You Ain't Nothing But A Hound, Doge: Most Serene Republic of Venice aka The Venetian Republic (697-1797)'''

Centred on the city of UsefulNotes/{{Venice}}, but had mainland territories in the modern day countries of Greece, Slovenia, Croatia and Montenegro. Once even ruled UsefulNotes/{{Cyprus}} (the war for which was the backdrop to ''Theatre/{{Othello}}''). Had a large merchant fleet, a powerful navy and controlled a lot of trade to the Middle East for much of its history (including sex slaves).

Described itself as a "mixed republic", with a monarch-like Doge who lost much of his powers over time, a Senate and a Major Council made up of key aristocrats, the later real power source.

The other Italian trading republic to survive until the French Revolutionary Wars. (Lucca and San Marino were also republics but weren't known for trade). It was originally a four-way thing between Venice, Genoa, Florence and Pisa, but the latter two ended up becoming parts of monarchies. Genoa was naturally TheRival to Venice and also ruled by an elected Doge. Christopher Columbus came from here. It was also Genoese traders who (inadvertently) first brought the Black Death to Europe from their trade posts on the Crimea.

Genoa possessed the island of Corsica for many years, but failed to put down a radical republican independence movement led by Pasquale Paoli, so they gave up and let France take over. The French succeeded, but in the process Corsican revolutionary ideas and a certain Corsican named Napoleon Bonaparte spread to France. Of course the result was the French Revolution and the General Bonaparte who was instrumental in conquering Italy for the French Revolutionaries. They overthrew Genoa, proclaimed a revolutionary Ligurian Republic, then later the region was amalgamated back into a kingdom (eventually taken over by Piedmont). NiceJobBreakingItHero?

There's this former Italian state that was one of the most powerful and indeed was the one that ended up uniting the country in the Italian Wars of Unification. So why is nobody ever quite sure what its name is? Piedmont is the approximate name of the region it ruled in the top left hand corner of Italy. Savoy is the name of the royal house and a city there, which (even more confusingly) the royal family traded away to the French as part of a BatmanGambit during the wars of unification along with Nice, so the House of Savoy didn't actually rule Savoy at the time they united Italy. The state is also often called the Kingdom of Sardinia. The reason for this is that the Dukes of Savoy obtained the island because it gave them a royal dignity (the right to call themselves Kings rather than Dukes). They looked on it as very much a consolation prize (they'd actually wanted Sicily, and did briefly possess it before realizing that Sicily was too hard to govern from the north, so they swapped it for Sardinia). Sardinia did come in handy during the NapoleonicWars, however, when the French conquered Piedmont (as in the bit on continental Italy) and the royal family (the House of Savoy) fled to Sardinia, which was only part of the ''Kingdom'' of Sardinia, but now the only actual part that wasn't conquered. Confused yet?

The only Italian city-state republic of the Renaissance to survive to the present day practically unchanged. It escaped the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars because Napoleon admired it, considering it a model of good governance. As is traditional for Italian republics, it elects its leaders on very short terms, a matter of months. Bizarrely it was also the first place in the world to democratically elect a Communist government, and the Communists dutifully stood down when they were voted out a few years later.

Basically Sicily and all of Southern Italy, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was by far the largest of the pre-unification states. Its capital, Naples was the third largest city in Europe in the early 19th century but the kingdom itself was poor and underdeveloped and a byword for corruption and poor rule. The royal family were a branch of the Bourbons, the dynasty that still reigns in Spain and Luxembourg but never achieved much popularity in Italy. In 1860 the kingdom collapsed in the face of Garibaldi's invasion.

It was only officially known as the "Kingdom of the Two Sicilies" after the NapoleonicWars, but that had been used informally as a name for many years previously. Part of the reason why it had a poor record in war was because it had been a bargaining chip in many of the wars between the great powers and its people were indifferent towards defending their king--because he was probably a foreigner who'd been installed twenty years ago and wouldn't be any different from the one they'd be given by whoever won the war.

For much of its history, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}} was an expression. Before 1861, Italy was a collection of city states and principalities, frequently a target for foreign powers.

Many of these weren't actually monarchies, but republics ruled by a collection of oligarchies. The city states were mostly rich and concentrated (relying on trade), centres of art and culture, a little like UsefulNotes/{{Dubai}} without the sand.

'''You Ain't Nothing But A Hound, Doge: Most Serene Republic of Venice aka The Venetian Republic (697-1797)'''

'''The Republic of Genoa'''

'''Piedmont'''

'''San Marino'''

'''The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (1811-1861)'''