Guilds of Florence - Role in Government

Role in Government

Six of the nine Priori of the Signoria of Florence were selected from the major guilds, and two were selected by the minor guilds. The "Seven Greater Guilds" are first mentioned distinctly (separating the Calimala from "Wool") in 1197. The first State enactment appertaining to Guilds was not issued until 1228.

The first scheduled list of Florentine guilds encompassing twenty-one guilds, appeared in 1236. The second scheduled list of the twenty-one guilds, differentiating between seven "Greater" Guilds (Arti Maggiori) and fourteen "Lesser" Guilds (Arti Minori), appeared in 1266. That same year the consuls of the seven "Greater" Guilds became the "Supreme Magistrate of the State". In 1280, the first five of the "Lesser Guilds" were designated "Intermediate Guilds" (Arte Mediane) in 1280, when the Signoria first assumed office, and their consults were admitted to the conferences of the consuls of the seven "Greater" Guilds.

In 1282, three "Priors of the Guilds" were elected, with powers only inferior to the Chief-Magistrate of the State. The third scheduled list of guilds, finalizing their order of precedence for over a century appeared in a 1282 document known as the Foro Fiorentino, currently held at British Library. The 1282 document groups the greater and intermediary guilds together, thus creating a new partition of twelve greater guilds and nine minor guilds. The nine lowest guilds were allotted banners and coats-of-arms in 1291.

A General Code, "Il Statuto", for the guilds was promulgated in 1296 with the founding of the Corte della Mercanzia. The Statutes of all the guilds underwent a complete revision between 1301 and 1307, and the "New Code" was first adopted by the Calimala; the statutes were again revised in 1386.

Three new operative guilds were formed in 1378 after the Ciompi revolt. The fourth scheduled list of guilds, appearing in 1415, however, still included only twenty-one guilds, partitioned (as in 1266) between seven greater guilds and fourteen lesser guilds (the intermediary ones having lost their special status).

The Grandi attempted in 1427 to reduce the lesser guilds to only seven. This was defeated. But in 1534, the fourteen lesser guilds were arranged into four Universities, and saw many of their privileges curtailed.