Government Page. The Renaissance began in Italy, which was organized into numerous city-states. The most prominent city-states included Florence, Venice, Milan, and Rome. Florence was a republic where democratic ideals were admired during the Renaissance. read more
Florence saw itself as the ideal city state, a place where the freedom of the individual was guaranteed, and where many citizens had the right to participate in the government (this must have been very different than living in the Duchy of Milan, for example, which was ruled by a succession of Dukes with absolute power). read more
According to the University of Houston, during the Renaissance (c.1485 - c.1688), most of Europe lived under monarchy, which is rule by a king or queen. This stands in contrast to Florence, Italy, which was a republic where democracy was supported and wealthy families ruled. read more
Despite political violence, factionalism and corruption, Renaissance Florence did experiment with different forms of citizen government and power sharing arrangements. In order to reconcile the warring factions and families, a complex electoral system was developed as mechanism for sharing power. read more