Bolonia, Italia
The essay aims at investigating the activities, the movements and the integration processes of a number of merchant-bankers who were active – between the end of the fourteenth century and the mid-fifteenth century – in some cities of Northern Italy, including Verona and Trento, but with interests and business networks in other places as well. After an analysis of the political and economic context of the cities of departure (including Siena) and of arrival, the economic activities exercised by those merchant-bankers and the networks of their relationships, also with the local ruling class, are described in detail. Finally, we will examine some parameters that allow to measure their rooting in the various cities where they obtained the citizenship.