Italy Locations

Text

In our historical epoch, Italy as we know it today did not yet exist. Instead, there were a number of independent states and kingdoms with their own rulers and policies, which were not unified until the 19th century. Among the most important of these are Lombardy, Tuscany, the Duchy of Venice and the Papal State based in Rome.
City states or maritime republics often engaged in disputes and wars. The common bond at the time being mainly language and the legacy of ancient Rome, upon whose cultural foundation much of contemporary Europe was built.
Due to its strategically important location in the heart of the Mediterranean, the territory of the Italian states was mainly focused on trade. Goods from Africa and the Arab world flowed through the region, and the local navy dominated the entire Mediterranean, serving as an indispensable transport force during, for instance, the Crusades. It is no exaggeration to say that a large portion of the exotic export goods available in the Czech lands had to pass through an Italian port.
Beyond trade, however, the Italian kingdoms and principalities of the time also played a significant cultural role. It was here, in our epoch, that the long-dominant discourse and, philosophical and artistic movement called the Renaissance emergred. It must be added, however, that it took a few more decades for Renaissance ideas to spread to the heart of Europe.

Artwork