Tra commercio e politica: famiglie fiorentine in Francia nel XVI secolo

Abstract

This essay analyses the cases of several important Florentine families who
emigrated to France during the sixteenth century for economic and political
reasons. The examples examined – the Bini, Mannelli and Del Bene families
– are not only representative of a heterogeneous phenomenon such as the anti-
Medici exile, but also allow us to analyse the phenomenon of political exile
in the early modern age: from the functioning of exile communities to their
ability to integrate into the socio-economic fabric of host societies and relate
to political power. Retracing the events of some of the most active Florentines
beyond the Alps, the essay seeks not only to reflect on the personal and
family outcomes of this mass emigration, but also to highlight the intensity
of financial relations and cultural exchanges between Italy and France in the
sixteenth century.