Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1921-05-15
Fl ORENCE IS ONE OF WORLDS
MOST FAMOUS CITES-W.ALTH
BAPPARENTLY VERY ABUNDANT

WASHINGTON. ID. C. May a.
Florence. which recently was reported
IN newspaper dispi,chcs L. be- the start.
tng point for expeditions hy armed iial.
nm Fascist. or extreme nationalisis.
against communists. had captains Of
Industry" business administrations q"
Unemployment. and riots by the prulct.
srist II it, wooicn shops when Law.
renee and Lowell were happy hunting
grounds for Indians and Columbus was
unborn. according o. bulletin issued
by the National Geographic society
from It's Washington. u. C.. headquart.
err.
FLORENCE. one of the most famous
a the worlds centcrs. has not had the
peaceful existence that il sometimes
associated with art" says the bulletin
~fsut II has had wealth In abundance
which h perhaps more important. for
art seldom develops In poverty.sirlckcn
communities. In the twelfth. thirteenth
snd fourteenth centuries this city.statc
vas pcrhars the wcalihiest community
In all Europe. More than %. 600 work.
ess were employed IN iis woolcn indus
trics and its traders worc found
Throughout; the known world. Florence
vas to such an extent synonym for
wealth that. when Florcntino was
taken prisoner. the ransom demanded
wss twice for citizen of another com.
muniiy. The coin II Flurcnc, the
f1orin. was the standard money II Eur.
cps.
\ Bu~inr~s Mems Paradise.
This widespread commerce natural.
~ poured an Increasing stream of
wealth Into Florence and made IT. mcr.
chants and proprictors opuient. The
city fairly bristled with captains Of In.
dustry and merchant princes The
forms of a republic had been establish.
81 hut from the first II was strictly a
business mems s.rernmeni Tn.
guilds or associations of the leading
merchants In the several lines ~ trade
each elected mcmbefS 90 the governing
body. Later the representative of
some Of the minor guilds were permit.
ted 10 Join the governing group The
lsborers made strenuous efforts 10 Oh.
thin n voice In what might be referred
60 In the terms II today as the city's
tufiness soviet" but except for brief
period following a revolt were eNlua
Cd. fof a irfiod mobiles were denied q
voice also and the town VIA a business
mems paradise.
The famous Mcslicl family were
among those enriched by the Industry
and trade az Flor.nr. They owned n
chain ~ sixteen hanks about Europe.
BY the generous I'VE d their money and
Influence they became the patrons and
dictaiors of Florence and later its du.
esl rulers. though lie forms u the re.
public were retained for some tirne
4 Treasury IL Famous Art Objects.
"f1orence shows today the results ~
~ great medieval wealth and the fact
that Il WIS the fountain head q the
Renaissance. for the city probably con.
tnins more art treasures than can l,e
found In any similar urea. Among the
masters who worried In Fiorencc-mnny
az them born and reared thcrc-werc
Michael Angelo. Raphael i..un1rdn ia
vinci Griutto. Lu,a della Ilobla bona.
tello. Fra filippo Lippl. Boiiicciii and
ANDREA del Sarto. besides h,si e
lc~~sr palni,rs. sculpirrs and archf
tects. Dante and fsrtarcio. nmung
The greatest literary nrhtS - the Re.
raissanc.. were Flor,niines ~ were
Calico. philosophrr. and Ma-hnyclii
statesman.
Numerous palaces. bridges. tower.