Michele di Lando
Encyclopedia
Michele di Lando was the first leader of the Ciompi Revolt in Florence
that started in 1378.
Michele di Lando was the son of a woman named Simona who was a vegetable seller in Florence. Michele himself was a wool carder
.
was challenging the authority of the Guelf Party and facing heavy resistance from the nobility. Moreover, many workers in Florence remained without a guild
to represent them and were therefore entirely disenfranchised. On 22 July 1378, violence broke out in Florence once again. Michele di Lando went to the Piazza of the Signoria
where he was given a banner of justice with which to lead the people. He ordered that the Palace of the Signoria
should be taken and the governors chose to flee. Michele took power and for six weeks, he fought to restore stability. His government had three new guilds created so that almost all men gained representation.
However the radicals were not happy with the new government for many of the old structures of government remained so they selected the Eight of Santa Maria Novella
to represent them instead. This led to a conflict between the Priors led by Michele and the Eight. Michele was able to defeat the radicals and so returned to power. As a result of the revolt, he had the guild representing the lowest workers and the apprentices disbanded but left the others intact.
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
that started in 1378.
Background
Carding
Carding is a mechanical process that breaks up locks and unorganised clumps of fibre and then aligns the individual fibres so that they are more or less parallel with each other. The word is derived from the Latin carduus meaning teasel, as dried vegetable teasels were first used to comb the raw wool...
.
Role in the Ciompi Revolt
There was much discontent in Florence in 1378. Salvestro de' MediciSalvestro de' Medici
Salvestro di Alammano de' Medici was a former Gonfaloniere and Provost of the city of Florence.Salvestro was a member of the patrician class and an adversary of the noble Guelphic faction, who had been pursuing a policy of attempting to exclude the lesser guilds through admonitions.Salvestro was...
was challenging the authority of the Guelf Party and facing heavy resistance from the nobility. Moreover, many workers in Florence remained without a guild
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
to represent them and were therefore entirely disenfranchised. On 22 July 1378, violence broke out in Florence once again. Michele di Lando went to the Piazza of the Signoria
Piazza della Signoria
Piazza della Signoria is an L-shaped square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy. It was named after the Palazzo della Signoria, also called Palazzo Vecchio....
where he was given a banner of justice with which to lead the people. He ordered that the Palace of the Signoria
Palazzo Vecchio
The Palazzo Vecchio is the town hall of Florence, Italy. This massive, Romanesque, crenellated fortress-palace is among the most impressive town halls of Tuscany...
should be taken and the governors chose to flee. Michele took power and for six weeks, he fought to restore stability. His government had three new guilds created so that almost all men gained representation.
However the radicals were not happy with the new government for many of the old structures of government remained so they selected the Eight of Santa Maria Novella
Eight of Santa Maria Novella
The Eight of Santa Maria Novella were a radical group involved in the Ciompi Revolt in Florence in 1378.-Formation:In 1378, revolt broke out in Florence. After the ciompi had taken the Palace of the Signoria, a new group of priors took control of the city, led by Michele di Lando...
to represent them instead. This led to a conflict between the Priors led by Michele and the Eight. Michele was able to defeat the radicals and so returned to power. As a result of the revolt, he had the guild representing the lowest workers and the apprentices disbanded but left the others intact.