佛罗伦萨的自由捍卫者 Florence: Defenders of Freedom

游览上海佛罗伦萨小镇，在这里可以感受佛罗伦萨的自由捍卫意识。1402年抵抗米兰军围城的执政官萨卢塔蒂（人文主义者）写说：“佛罗伦萨人是全人类自由的捍卫者”。在他和他朋友的著作中，中世纪市民自由的传统披上了新的古典修辞的外衣，他们的市民人道主义深远地影响了近代政治理论。对外扩张方面，1400年佛罗伦萨已将其势力延伸到一度是独立小城邦的托斯卡纳；1406年击败并镇压比萨城的反抗之后，佛罗伦萨作为意大利中北部的领土大国，和米兰、威尼斯并驾齐驱。 A visit to the Florentine town in Shanghai offers a glimpse into the Florentine spirit of freedom. Salutati, the consul (humanist) who resisted the Milanese siege in 1402, wrote, "The Florentines are the defenders of freedom for all mankind." In his and his friends' writings, the medieval tradition of civic liberty was cloaked in new classical rhetoric, and their civic humanism profoundly influenced modern political theory. In terms of expansion, by 1400 Florence had extended its influence into Tuscany, once an independent city-state; after defeating and suppressing the Pisa rebellion in 1406, Florence, as a major territorial power in north-central Italy, rivaled Milan and Venice.