9 Builders Corporations in Italy, Germany, and Switzerland
Builders Corporations of ItalyThe appearance and development of trade communities in Italy
(known as arti in Italian, a word that beautifully expresses the medieval
and Christian concept of work) were closely bound to the communal
movement and its circumstances that were unique to this country.
With the establishment of feudalism, almost all Italian cities had
fallen under the authority of the bishops. They were the first to acquire
their freedom. The political process, however, was different from the
communal movement in France, Flanders, and Great Britain. In these
countries liberalization was, from the onset, due to the struggle of the
bourgeoisie against the nobles, who often had the support of the king.
In Italy, in the absence of any unified central authority, the source and
form of communal institutions were first and foremost aristocratic.
Transforming these communes into states, which they governed, pro-
vided nobles with the means to strengthen their political power. At a
very early date, it is true—toward the end of the ninth century—the
merchants, who had also become quite influential, had their own
seats on the councils alongside the nobles. Toward the middle of the
twelfth century, representatives of the arts also gained a council place.