File:Men and manners of old Florence (1909) (14748390876).jpg

Identifier: menmannersofoldf00biag (find matches)
Title: Men and manners of old Florence
Year: 1909 (1900s)
Authors: Biagi, Guido, 1855-1925
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Publisher: Chicago, A. C. McClurg and co.
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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ded, too, and ready tostrike, redoubled its forces in order to subdue its foes.This achieved, the merchants of the conquering citycelebrated a new species of triumph ; they led theirmules, laden with the cloths of Calimala, the silks ofPor Santa Maria, across the plains and mountains thata short time before had been scoured by the horseand foot soldiers of their army. The traders, follow-ing hard upon the footsteps of their less peaceableneighbours, bore Florentine gold and Florentine wit tothe cities under whose walls had but lately waved thebanner that bore the badge of this great free people.The Mercato Vecchio was then the heart ofFlorence, and seemed to the Florentines the mostbeautiful piazza in the world. Whoever reads itspraises in the pages of Antonio Pucci, or searchesamong the tales of Franco Sacchetti for the chroniclesof daily life, can form an idea of a life that was con-tented to enact itself upon so small a stage. Here,on this, the true emporium of Florentine commerce,
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= s PRIVATE LIFE OF THE FLORENTINES 91 were gathered together shopkeepers, merchants, doctors,idlers, gamblers, rustics, apothecaries, rogues, maid-servants, nobles, beggars, hucksters, and gay bands ofspendthrifts. Here, too, was to be found merchandiseof every sort and kind : fresh meat, fruit, cheese,vegetables, game, poultry, linen, flowers, pottery,barrels, and second-hand furniture. The street-boys,mischievous and quick-tongued even then, took uptheir permanent abode there, as if it were their properhome ; here, too, rats held perpetual carnival. Butpeople flocked thither from all parts. No day passed that some disturbance did not occur,some quarrel, some alarm. Thus a horse becameobstreperous, and every person shouted at the topof their voices for help, ^- Accorruomo \ the Flazza.dei Signori was thronged with the runaways, thepalace door was hastily shut, the family armed itself,and so did the followers of the captain and of theexecutioner ; some for very fear hid under their b

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