This lecture will examine the dramatic changes in Florentine society, culture, and politics from 1348 to 1378. From its vigorous response to the Black Death and its aftermath - an unprecedented urban workers' rebellion known as the Ciompi Revolt - the Florentine guild government demonstrated a resilience and ability for finding creative solutions that would herald the birth of the Renaissance.

Detail of Orcagna's Expulsion of the Duke of Athens 

(1343) Palazzo Vecchio, Florence