<previous Florence, established as a roman colony became in the early 1100s an autonomous city-state independent of surrounding feudal lords. The Commune was a system where consuls were elected by nobles, city officials and later by merchants and workers. During the 1200s the populace divided into two parties, the Guelphs and the Ghibellines. The Guelphs supported the papacy while the Ghibellines supported the Holy Emperor of Germany.

By the end of the 1200s the Guelphs had triumphed over the Ghibellines until they divided themselves into feudal factions called Blacks and Whites. As the merchants and bankers of Florence amassed great wealth from the sale of silks, tapestries and jewelry, commercial rivalries with other cities erupted in to open warfare. These warfares were eventually interrupted by the Black death [more].
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