Firenseee

he Black Death (bubonic plague) wreaks havoc across Italy and much of the rest of western Europe. Florence is said to have lost three-quarters of its populace.

While the south of Italy tended to centralised rule, the north was heading the opposite way. Port cities such as Genoa, Pisa and especially Venice, along with internal centres such as Florence, Milan, Parma, Bologna, Padua, Verona and Modena, became increasingly insolent towards attempts by the Holy Roman Emperors to meddle in their affairs. The cities' growing prosperity and independence also brought them into conflict with Rome, which found itself increasingly incapable of exercising influence over them. Indeed, at times Rome's control over some of its own Papal States was challenged. Caught between the papacy and the emperors, it was not surprising that these city-states were forever switching allegiances in an attempt to best serve their own interests.

which each aimed to gain control of the signoria (government). In some cities, great dynasties, such as the Medici in Florence and the Visconti and Sforza in Milan, came to dominate their respective stages. War between the city-states was a constant and eventually a few, notably Florence, Milan and Venice, emerged as regional powers and absorbed their neighbours. Their power was based on a mix of trade, industry and conquest. Constellations of power and alliances were in constant flux, making changes in the city-states' fortunes the rule rather than the exception. Easily the most stable and long the most successful of them was Venice. In Florence, prosperity was based on the wool trade, finance and general commerce. Abroad, its coinage, the firenze (florin), was king. In Milan, the noble Visconti family destroyed its rivals and extended Milanese control over Pavia and Cremona, and later Genoa. Giangaleazzo Visconti (1351–1402) turned Milan from a city-state into a strong European power. The policies of the Visconti (up to 1450), followed by those of the Sforza family, allowed Milan to spread its power to the Ticino area of Swit-zerland and east to the Lago di Garda.

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It was close to six in the morning when we managed to leave our home for a week long trip to Italy. Catching the 630 train at the Basel train station looked very iffy as we had to catch a tram to reach the station itself. During early mornings, trams are not that frequent, even in Switzerland. The only thing to do then, was to run. Run, run, run. 

The mad dash for catching a train is different from the one for say, catching a flight. There is no checking in or getting boarding passes, after which you know they cannot go without you. If you have got your body and stuff in the train, you are in. Else not. I panted to the tram stop just as the tram was about to leave, and held it open for the wife, the co-traveller, who was following closely behind. If this tram was gone, the train was probably gone. Close save. 

-  Arrival reminded how dependent on technology we were. The network on the phone was not working and so, the general plan to get around and the default way of navigation was not possible.

- Hotel room was a saver. Eventhough no food was free, wifi was. Logged in, made the corrections necessarz on the account

- The first stop was restaurant. The waiter took the big tip as his own normal one. 

- The second was an unplanned stop. Fully unplanned. Flea market. dropping it back

- walking then to a first museum - Boschi di stefano museum. free. donations of a couple. gifted to milan.

no indication of human presence. however there is some. 

- shopping again

- finding the restaurant again, after a long cold walk - Grill. 

- Ambrosiana atlanticus.

- Tour - opera house, Emmanuel II arcade, Duomo,  

- cannot see jesus's legs below the table, unlike everyone else. The sisters drwaing a cross after seeing it.

he is black.