th ▁century ▁Italy ▁was ▁a ▁' land ▁of ▁cities ' ▁and ▁Florence ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁rich est ▁and ▁most ▁polit ically ▁rest less ▁among ▁them . ▁The ▁most ▁obvious ▁signs ▁of ▁this ▁prosper ity ▁and ▁economic ▁power ▁were ▁its ▁striking ▁of ▁ 3 . 5 ▁gram ▁gold ▁flor ins ▁and ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁the ▁city ' s ▁large ▁merc ant ile ▁and ▁financi er ▁companies ▁right ▁across ▁Europe ▁and ▁Africa . ▁These ▁companies ' ▁leaders ▁demanded ▁increasing ▁invol vement ▁in ▁the ▁city ' s ▁political ▁life , ▁claim ing ▁equal ▁or ▁greater ▁dign ity ▁than ▁the ▁old ▁noble ▁families ▁who ▁held ▁now ▁un product ive ▁rural ▁land ▁outside ▁the ▁town . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁and ▁ 1 4 th ▁centuries ▁the ▁Ar ti ▁Mag gior i ▁would ▁be ▁key ▁to ▁the ▁city ' s ▁economic ▁as cent ▁and ▁the ▁middle ▁class ' s ▁reven ge ▁on ▁the ▁fe ud al ▁nob ility . ▁This ▁state ▁of ▁affairs ▁would ▁last ▁until ▁at ▁least ▁ 1 3 4 7 , ▁when ▁the ▁English ▁mon archy ' s ▁bank rupt cy ▁due ▁to ▁its ▁high ▁military ▁exp end iture ▁in ▁the ▁H undred ▁Years ' ▁War ▁drag ged ▁even ▁the ▁B ardi ▁and ▁Per uz zi ▁business es ▁( the ▁latter ▁alone ▁ow ed ▁around ▁ 6 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁gu ild ers ) ▁into ▁ru in . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁Ord in ances ▁ ▁The ▁post ▁of ▁Gon fal oni ere ▁surv ived ▁pract ically ▁until ▁the ▁abol