Repubblica di Lucca

In 1115, the city of Lucca began to constitute itself an independent commune and managed to more or less keep independence since then.

«[In 1330] the Lucchese, by seeing them being sieged, and looking at the loss of their countryside, decided not to want to be under the City of Florence; but to give themselves to some Signore who would help them, and defend them against the Florentines»
Anonimo Pistoiese, Istorie pistoiesi.

«The greater part of Tuscany was subject to the Florentines. Lucca and Siena alone were governed by their own laws».
Niccolò Machiavelli's History of Florence - Book I, Chapter VII.

«The troubles of Tuscany and Lombardy had brought the city of Lucca under the rule of Mastino della Scala, lord of Verona, who, though bound by contract to assign her to the Florentines, had refused to do so».
Niccolò Machiavelli's History of Florence - Book II, Chapter VII.

«There was no better method of reducing Lucca than to let them live under the tyrant, oppressed and exhausted by him»
Niccolò Machiavelli's History of Florence - Book IV, Chapter IV.

«The Florentines were thus embarrassed by two contrary impulses, the wish to possess Lucca, and the dread of a war with Milan».
Niccolò Machiavelli's History of Florence - Book V, Chapter I.

«Being full of exasperation, [the Florentines] despatched letters to every part of Italy, overcharged with complaints, affecting to show that since God and men were averse to the Lucchese coming under their dominion, they had made peace with them. And it seldom happens that any suffer so much for the loss of their own lawful property as they did because they could not obtain the possessions of others».
Niccolò Machiavelli's History of Florence - Book V, Chapter I.


TERRITORY
Situated along the Via Francigena, a major Medieval pilgrimage route, the province is dotted with castles, abbeys, parish churches and villas.
Lucca's boundary with Florence ran along the Lago di Bientina, the largest lake in Tuscany (nowaday drained). The two states frequently disputed with one another over fishing and water rights in the lake.


ECONOMY
Lucca's economic life was based on the rich agricultural land in the surrounding area and its position on Via Francigena, one of the main communication routes between Rome and France.

AGRICULTURE
Although the Serchio river was subject to severe flooding, the Lucchese plain provided rich grain-growing land. Vines and olives were cultivated on slightly higher land, and the lakes and woods were rich in fish and game.
The mountainous Garfagnana provided pasture for sheeps and goats, and also timber. Fourteenth-century accounts indicate that timber for ships' masts was floated down the Serchio, and ten of thousands transhumant animals passed through Lucchese territory.

BANKING ACTIVITIES
As Lucca was on the Via Francigena, pilgrims stopped to visit the Volto Santo, the "Holy Face" represented in Lucchese coinage. Moneychangers operated to serve the needs of pilgrims, and travelers in front of the cathedral of St. Martin.
Lucchese merchants had local branches, sometimes in partnership with other merchants; for instance the Rapondi company had branches in Bruges and Paris. Documents records the presence of Lucchese bankers and merchants in France, the Low Countries, Gascony and England. Some companies however were swept away, like that of the Ricciardi in 1294 who collapsed them it was caught between the contrastant loan demands of the papacy, Philip IV and Edward I when war broke between England and France.
In 1430s A jewish community of bankers also resided in Lucca.

SILK TRADE
Lucca became prosperous through the silk trade that began in the eleventh century, and came to rival the silks of Byzantium. The economic model of Lucca's silk production had a strong influence in Europe and thus the structure of the textile industry in Lyon and London was largely modeled upon what had been created in Lucca. The production of silk was in the hands of entrepreneurs, who were merchants. They bought silk fiber which was then transformed in small independent and specialized workshops. Human capital was precious, and the city's government tried to control its flow and to prevent skilled workers from leaving and settling elsewhere. Incentive measures such as tax exemptions and privileges were used to attract skilled workers. Lucca soon specialized in high quality silk fabrics such as drappi auroserici (fabrics made of a mixture of silk with gold or silver threads). From 1375 a more specific Italian style that featured Italian flowers, vine leaves and naturalist themes appeared.

LUXURY GOODS
Lucca was known for its merchants and luxury artisans. Luxury textiles were sold throughout Europe often through the fairs in Champagne or Bruges. There is much evidence for goldsmiths active in Lucca in this period, producing altar furnishings and sacred ornaments as well as jewels and iterms for wealthy people.


POLITICS
Siding with Guelphs, the Lucchese had internal wars, like Florence, between the moderate white guelphs and the fanatic black guelphs. In 1314 Lucca was occupied by Pisan forces, who were thrown back by condottiero Castruccio Castracani. His action secured Lucchese power and rivalled Florence until Castracani's death in 1328.
In 1329 the city was sieged and conquered by mercenary forces, and sold to the Genoese. In 1342 they regained independence to be occupied again by Pisa until 1369. Paolo Guinigi emerged in 1400 as a popular-backed Signore, able to withstand the Florentine attacks in 1429 and 1430.
After Guinigi's death in 1432 the city reverted to popular government, and tried to keep closer ties with Florence.

RELATIONS WITH FLORENCE
The worst nightmare of Lucchese rulers is Florence. In recent times, Florence either tried to buy or to conquer Lucca, always coming close to realizing its goal. Lucchese were saved either by external intervention or pure luck. Lucca should always be wary of Florentine intervention , knowing that a war with them will always be a defensive one.

RELATIONS WITH SIENA
The enemy of my enemy is my friend: this simplify the relations between the two Tuscan states. As they both are fearful of Florence, they are often linked by close ties. If Lucca has an alliance with Florence, then also Siena will do the same, and viceversa. They also had mutual economic exchanges throug sea lanes.

RELATIONS WITH NEARBY LORDSHIPS
There were many minor provinces in the region between southern Liguria and northern Tuscany dominated by the Malaspina. Per sé, no single polity was strong enough to go against Lucca, and Lucca expanded its influence toward Massa, but only for short span of time. The Malaspina, however, kept favourable relations with Lucca over time.
Lucca, having no direct access to the sea, forged an agreement with Genoa in the middle of the XII Century which allowed its merchants to transport goods through the Genovese territory. In exchange, Genovese ships were to bring back to Italy the raw silk purchased by Lucca's merchants from the Levant.



ARMY
There are scarce sources about the Lucchese army: we do know however that there was a citizen militia, who was used for guarding outposts and civic duties, althoug the partecipation of militias in war actions is dubious. Local nobles would muster their own retinue and train themselves in the art of war, but Lucca would hire mercenary captains in time of need, disbanding their armies as soon as possible to prevent excessive expenses.


SOURCES
Michael Mallett, Signori e mercenari - La guerra nell'Italia del Rinascimento, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2006.
Francesco Giovannini, Storia dello Stato di Lucca, Maria Pacini Fazzi, Lucca 2003.
M. E. Bratchel, Medieval Lucca and the Evolution of the Renaissance State, Oxford University Press, 2008