Oransmichele

How many major guilds were there?

7

Verrochio: Doubting Saint Thomas

an important Italian sculptor and was the heir of Ghiberti. Saint Thomas was the only niche that did not belong to a guild and is the most important façade of Orsanmichele.

why was Oransmichele created?

because of political, social, and economic need. it provided large scale charity in times of crisis, plague or famine. It made way for the grain market and protected vendors from the elements.

original purpose of top floor

devoted to grain storage

original purpose for the ground floor of Orsanmichele

grain market

Ghibberti

his father was of upper-middle class status and his mother was from the lowest level on social scale. mother left the father (which is unheard of during that time). went to live with Bartoluccio di Michele (a goldsmith). Career: centered on his great bronze doors for Florence's Baptistry. Created the north and east doors for the baptistery. was a part of the banker's guild.

the task of the lay confraternity "company of the Mary of Orsanmichele"

it was formed to sing hymns to the virgin and administer charitable donations. They shared the space of the grain sellers on the bottom floor,

difference between major and minor guilds

major: powerful and wealthy; minor: craftsmen and businessmen

why did authorities want to rebuild orsanmichele

needed to feed a population of 100,000

Nanni Di Banco

son of a stonemason. worked primarily for the cathedral. was important in the Guild of the Stoemasons and Woodcarvers. Sculpture in Orsanmichele: the Four Crowned Martyr Saints. Political Career: one of the twelve Buonuomini (advisors to the Priors). The original four martyrs were beaten to death by the Emperor. it is the only sculpture at the ORansmichele whose subject represents the guilds members as much as their religious patrons. it shows camaraderie of the guild systems.

what happened in 1348 in Europe in Florence

the black death - outbreak of the bubonic plague that killed 50,000 Florentines. with the decreased population, the grain market became of lesser importance, which was one of Orsanmichele's main purposes

what guild was in charge of the reconstruction of orsanmichele after the fire of 1304

the silk guild

how was reconstruction financed

through grain taxes