Note 187-2 — Chapter IV

The inhabitants of Asti began in 1226 to carry on the trade in money in trans-Alpine counties. In 1256, Louis IX. ordered 150 Asti money-changers to be thrown into prison, and he confiscated the money they had loaned in France, to the amount of over 800,000 livres. They were afterwards turned over to their enemy, the Count of Savoy, as usurers. (Muratori, Scr. Rerum Ital., XI, 142 seq.) About 1268, Louis IX. banished all money-changers of Lombard or Cahors origin: they were allowed only three months in which to collect their debts. (Sismondi, Histoire des Fr., VIII, 112.) About 1277, again all Italian money dealers were imprisoned, and 120,000 gold guldens extorted from them. (Giov. Villani, VII, 52.) After the Lombards had lost their freedom, the business passed into the hands of the Florentines and of the inhabitants of Lucca. (Sismondi, Gesch. der ital. Republiken, IV, 602; Dante, Inferno, XXI, 38.) Great part played by the brothers Franzesi as dealers in articles of luxury, and loaners on pledge etc., at the court of Philip IV. They seem to have instigated the persecution of other Italian money dealers, in 1291, from jealousy. (Sismondi, Histoire des Fr., VIII, 429 seq.) Great losses of the Florentines by the English-French war in 1337: Edward III. remained in the debt of his bankers Peruzzi and Bardi to the amounts respectively of 135,000 and 184,000 marks sterling; so that they and many others failed. France imprisoned all the Italian money dealers, and compelled them to pay a large amount of ransom-money. (G. Villani, XI, 71.) In 1376, the Pope who was engaged in a struggle with Florence, called upon all princes to despoil all Florentine merchants within their jurisdiction of their wealth, and to sell them as slaves; and France and England actually did so. (Sismondi, Geschichte der ital. Republiken, V, 257 seq., VII, 74.)