Chapter 122 Italy’s Harvest
From the port of Genoa and the transportation in northern Italy, we can see that this place is really prosperous. I don’t know why Italy has not been unified for hundreds of years, and it was only completed in modern times.
As for Rome, I won’t go there for now. What are you going to see there? The old man or the Triple Crown?
When mentioning Florence, what comes to mind is the Red House and the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.
The foundation stone of the Cathedral of Flowers was laid in 1296, but the outbreak of the Black Death in the autumn of 1347 forced the construction to be interrupted. In 1367, a referendum decided to build an octagonal dome with a diameter of 43.7 meters and a height of 52 meters at the cross point of the nave. But to this day there is no reliable plan, the dome has not yet been built and is still bare.
"Sir, I promise you, you will fall in love with this place."
"I am very excited."
The city was not only economically prosperous, but also the first uprising in history of wage workers against factory owners - the carders' uprising. Republican politics is flourishing here, and each family checks and balances each other, far from being a dominant one. The famous Medici family is now just a family running a small bank.
In this case, the textile workers here should be happy to go to the East. Moreover, carding workers have the lowest wages and the most difficult life. They have to work for 16 hours continuously. It is difficult to prevent them from immigrating under such conditions, as long as their own conditions are better than theirs.
A prosperous economy not only creates a lot of wealth, but also creates a lot of poor people who work in the cities for factories and bankers. They earn very little, and they are very easy to recruit.
Soon there was another round of money-spending. After all, Peter would not persuade them to go to the unknown east, so they could only open the way with coins. But the effect is not very good, because some citizens are disguised. After they get the money, they spend it in taverns and other places, contributing to Florence's service industry.
By the time Peter found out, more than 2,000 gold coins had been wasted. This lesson was a painful one. He should go to Constantinople to recruit, at least some real talents.
He already knew the situation in Florence. City-states such as Venice were republics, with many parliaments and debates. Nothing new anyway. He still believes that monarchy is the way out, and the current republic can only come to an end.
According to Machiavelli, 1, the army and law are the basis of power.
2. The monarch should monopolize power, focus on strength, and be proficient in military affairs.
3. The monarch should not be bound by any moral principles. He only needs to consider whether the effect is beneficial and does not need to consider whether the means are harmful. He can show kindness externally and be cunning inwardly, or he can imitate the fox or the lion. He can be cunning and cruel at the same time.
4. The monarch can be an enemy of the nobles, but not the people.
5. The monarch should not seek false fame but pay attention to reality. Cruelty and kindness, stinginess and generosity must all proceed from reality. A wise king would rather be ridiculed for being stingy than seek the reputation of being generous.
To sum up, forming a strong country is to follow the trend. This is true for Britain and France, and the same is true for Wallachia. Only a city-state like Venice would object.
Turn the church into an organization that obeys the royal power; weaken the power of the great nobility; establish a standing army to strengthen the military power of the royal power and ensure internal rule and external expansion. This is something that city-states cannot do.
Peter also paid attention to the situation in Wallachia. After learning that the Patriarch of Bukur Yeshti was officially recognized by the Castle, his plan to use religion for expansion could be increased.
"How are they doing in Sicily and Naples?"
Peter asked about Andre's progress, and his men brought him very good news. They have grown to several hundred followers in Palermo, as well as a church and two lecture halls.
"So fast?"
"My lord, since that war, some people in Sicily have been disappointed with those nobles."
Peter was right, Sicily still had some religious roots. If you can take advantage of it, returning to Italy is not a dream.
But Florence didn’t want to think about it for the time being, it was too far away.
In addition to the economy and culture, Florence also has some mercenaries, all from the Shinra and France. Although they have a great reputation, their combat effectiveness is hard to describe. In a word: Whoever has more money can work hard for whomever, and it is a three-point force. It is normal to defect at critical moments, not to mention the situation of not being able to work hard.
When it comes to mercenaries, Swiss and German mercenaries are the best. Not only do they have high combat effectiveness, they are also very loyal. What are the Italian ones? not good.
Peter sat in a gorgeous carriage. He looked at the scenery and people of Florence by the window, and was still thinking about how to transfer more craftsmen to Wallachia. But just as the carriage was moving, a man was staring at him.
He had already found out that the people in this carriage were spending a lot of money to recruit workers and craftsmen. This caused some people to resign from his two wool workshops, which was really intolerable.
However, he has made a lot of money in the past few years. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he plans to open a bank. Because the financial industry is the fastest way to make money.
"Well, I don't know if I can find a nobleman for marriage. Although Cosimo is young, he will grow up."
The nobles looked down on the nouveau riche. In order to join the upper class, they would marry the declining nobles with rich gifts. In this way, one can enter the aristocratic class. This is what the wool mill owner thought.
Peter spent the longest time in Northern Italy. He basically understood the situation here and recorded it in his notebook. He was familiar with the humanities and trade of each city, which broadened his horizons.
The ship built in Genoa has also been completed. This ship uses the most advanced technology and defense weapons, so there is no need to worry about being robbed by pirates. The ship was also loaded with cargo.
Woolen cloth, carpets, spices, copper and iron products, etc. are all famous specialties of various urban republics. It would be good to give these to domestic nobles.
Peter spent the next two months on this ship. He came to Naples and also to Sicily, and almost visited all the important cities in Italy. Then he came to his last stop in Italy - Venice.
As the overlord of the Eastern Mediterranean and once the ruler of three-eighths of Rome, Venice's power was significant in the Mediterranean. They even placed the things they robbed from the castle at the door of St. Mark's Basilica to show their power.
Peter looked at the stone statue in front of the church, which was from Hagia Sophia and is here now. This is a blasphemy against the Orthodox Church and a demonstration against Wallachia, the quasi-Roman successor. Wait, one day he will carry these back, and they will be carried by the Venetians.