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.