Pisa, like Milan, was an old Roman city which profited by
the disorders of the barbarian invasions to assert its independence. The
situation of Pisa on the Arno River, seven miles from the sea, made it a
maritime state, and the Pisan navy gained distinction in warfare against the
Moslems in the Mediterranean. The Pisans joined in the First Crusade and showed
their valor at the capture of Jerusalem. They profited greatly by the crusading
movement and soon possessed banks, warehouses, and trading privileges in every
eastern port. But Pisa had bitter rivals in Florence and Genoa, and the
conflicts with these two cities finally brought about the destruction of its
power.
FLORENCE
Florence, Pisa's neighbor on the Arno, was renowned for
manufactures. The fine wool, silk cloths, golden brocades, jewelry, and metal
work of Florence were imported into all European countries. The craft guilds
were very strong there, and even the neighboring nobles, who wished to become
citizens, had first to enroll themselves in some guild. It was from banking,
however, that Florence gained most wealth. In the fifteenth century the city
contained eighty great banking houses, in addition to numerous branches outside
of Italy. With their commercial spirit the Florentines combined a remarkable
taste for art and literature. Their city, whose population never exceeded
seventy thousand, gave birth to some of the most illustrious poets, prose
writers, architects, sculptors, and painters of medieval times. It was the
Athens of Italy.
