The Florentine Florin - (Artes Liberales) by Stefano Locatelli (Hardcover)

About the Book

Locatelli revises our understanding of the leading currency of the Middle Ages, the florin, by investigating it as a medium with hitherto neglected political, social, and cultural dimensions in the interactions between the Florentine merchants, the Angevin Crown, and the Papacy.

Book Synopsis

Minted in Florence around November 1252, the florin became one of the leading gold currencies of the Middle Ages. Historians agree that its success was mainly due to the need for a stable means of payment in the networks of international trade. The Florentine Florin investigates the florin as a medium with hitherto neglected political, social, and cultural dimensions. By bringing human agents and political institutions more prominently into the history of the coin, this book enhances our understanding of money and its nature from a historical perspective, and provides an original framework for the integrated study of material culture and economic practices.

From the Back Cover

The Florentine florin rewrites the history of the gold florin, the most popular currency of medieval Europe, first minted in Florence in 1252. This book presents a multifaceted narrative where human agency, precious metals, and political institution each play their role in the florin's history.

Locatelli traces the entry of the florin into networks of commerce and power in which Florentine merchants, the Angevin Crown, and the Papacy were enmeshed. The florin succeeded as an economic vehicle for 'big business', was used for tax collection by the Papacy and the Angevin Crown, and projected authority and expertise across Europe. Through applying methods from several disciplines to archaeological evidence and written sources, Locatelli unveils a world of finance, statecraft, and enterprise.

This book revises our understanding of the florin, and so of late medieval and Renaissance Europe, providing a compelling new framework for the integrated study of material culture and economic practices.

About the Author

Stefano Locatelli is Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellow between Fordham University and the University of Milan.