Storia delle repubbliche italiane dei secoli di mezzo, v. 11 (of 16)

This volume offers a detailed survey of the Italian city‑states in the mid‑15th century, zeroing in on Florence as it navigates the turbulent years following the death of Piero de’ Medici. The author maps the shifting balance between the powerful Medici bank and the republican institutions that had long guarded civic liberty. By tracing diplomatic exchanges, military pressures from the Ottoman advance, and internal fiscal strains, the narrative paints a vivid picture of a republic on the edge of transformation.

Key players such as Tommaso Soderini, Andrea de’ Pazzi, and Luigi Guicciardini emerge as the architects of a provisional governing council that sought to preserve order amid elite rivalries. Their attempts to balance personal ambition with the constitutional limits of the state expose the fragile nature of Florentine governance at this juncture. The work leaves listeners with a clear sense of how these early crises set the stage for the later upheavals that would reshape Italy.