THE revolt of the Ciompi it was the culmination of a series of popular revolts that took place in Florence, in the Tuscany region of Italy, between the 1340s and 1380s. Ciompi's name derives from wage-earners in the woolen industries who joined the city's governing bodies from July 22, 1378 to August 31, 1378. The debate among historians concerns the consideration of the Ciompi Revolt as the first workers' revolt in history.
Florence became a republic intended to be popular and democratic in 1293, with the publication of the ordinamenti di giustizia (laws of justice), which structured in 21 Art the professional corporations of the city, excluding the aristocracy and a good part of the wage earners. The artisans and small merchants formed the minor arts and the bankers and big traders the major arts.
With approximately 100,000 inhabitants in 1338, the city was rich because of industry, commerce and banking activities, and politically divided into two parties: the Ghibellines, supporters of the Empire against the pope; and the Guelphs, supporters of the papal cause.
Between 1343 and 1348, the magnate (noble families) were expelled from the organs of power. The city was also ruled for a brief period by Gautier de Brienne (1342-1343), Duke of Athens, a period that was marked by several popular conflicts, ended with the plague in 1348. To face the upper bourgeoisie, the Duke relied on the workers and pleased, for example, the dyers, who wanted to form a new art, the twenty-second. He organized the wool workers not in a art, but in an armed association. After an uprising that toppled him, supported by almost the entire city, except butchers and some few workers, the weapons remained in the hands of the wool workers who used them in the years later.
In 1343, 1,300 workers rose up against the dictatorship of capitalists in the workplace; in 1345, a new revolt led by a carder aimed at organizing the wool workers. The plague decimated much of the population in 1348, causing wages to rise, due to the lack of workers for services, and increasing conflicts between bosses and workers. Between 1370 and 1372, a strike by the dyers took place, which was defeated, but it did not cool the workers' spirits.
At the same time, the upper bourgeoisie saw its interests oppose those of the petty bourgeoisie, causing conflicts in the Guelph party. The internal dispute within the party resulted in the rise of Salvestro de Medici to the position of magistrate of justice in June 1378, representing the petty bourgeoisie and proposing measures against the arts larger. the various Art they took to the streets to defend their positions, the workers also took to the conflict, setting fire to mansions and prisons. Salvestro de Médice won, but the leadership that belonged to the petty and middle bourgeoisie fell into the hands of the workers.
It was based on the characteristics of the revolt that scholars on the subject, such as Simone Weil, stated that it was the first proletarian revolt in history. The first spontaneous measure taken by the insurgents was the death penalty for the looters, which did not mean a bloody act. In addition, they called for changes in tax collection; the suppression of foreign officers who acted as police officers; and three more new arts: one for self-employed wool workers; another for unorganized tailors and small artisans; and one for the popolo minute, the small people, workers mainly in the woolen shops. The latter was a workers' union, whose objective was to make equal representation in the power of the State.
As there was no quick response to the demands, the workers stormed the Government Palace on July 21, 1378, appointing Michele di Lando, a wool carder, as magistrate of justice. He formed a provisional government with the heads of the minor arts. On August 8, a new form of government was instituted in response to the demands of the workers, adding an armed force made up of citizens. The workers still did not trust the government constituted in alliance with the lesser arts and withdrew to Santa Maria Novella, in the northwest of the city, organizing itself similarly to a party and inviting the other arts to form a new constitution. Thus, two governments were formed, one in the Palace and the other in Santa Maria Novella.
However, Michele de Lando turned against the workers, repressing and defeating them in early September, with only a few uprisings appearing afterwards and crushed. The lesser arts shared power for a time with the greater arts, but only until the bourgeoisie again found itself strong to impose its power, especially with the disorganization of the workers. Michele di Lando was subsequently exiled, the arts of non-proletarianized wool workers and those of the tailors were extinguished and the power structure before the 1378 uprising was restored in 1382.
By Tales Pinto
Graduated in History
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/guerras/revolta-dos-ciompi-um-levante-operario.htm