Author Description
This study of the finance of the Commune of Siena during the period of the Nine (1287-1355) is a major contribution to the history of medieval Italy. William M. Bowsky examines the financial administration of the city-state, focusing on the Biccherna and the Gabella, the two most important financial offices of the commune. He analyzes the sources of revenue, the methods of taxation, and the ways in which the commune managed its debt, providing a detailed picture of the economic life of a major Italian city in the late Middle Ages.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This study investigates the fiscal administration and economic policies of the Sienese Commune during the height of the Nine government. William M. Bowsky, a noted historian of medieval Italy, utilizes extensive archival records to analyze how the city-state managed its revenue, taxation, and public debt. The work provides a detailed framework for understanding the intersection of political stability and financial management in a pre-modern urban republic.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Analysis of Sienese tax structures and public expenditure records from 1287 to 1355.
- Examination of the administrative mechanisms used by the Nine to maintain fiscal solvency.
- Primary source evidence drawn from the Biccherna and Gabella archives.
- Discussion on the socio-political impact of communal debt and fiscal policy on Sienese citizens.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Historians and scholars of medieval Italian history recognize this work as a foundational text for understanding the financial complexities of the medieval city-state. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the meticulous nature of Bowsky's archival research.
Page Count:
379
Publication Date:
1970-01-01
Publisher:
Clarendon Press
ISBN-10:
0198214855
ISBN-13:
9780198214854
History
Economics
Italy
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