Of the residency of the nobility
Amongst other causes why the cities of Italy are ordinarily greater than the cities of France or other parts of Europe, it is not of small importance this, that the gentlemen in Italy do dwell in cities, and in France in their castles, which are for the most part palaces compassed and surrounded with moats full of water, and fenced with walls and towers sufficient to sustain a sudden assault.
And although the noblemen of Italy do also themselves magnificently dwell in the villages, as you may see about the countries of Florence, Venice and Genoa, which are full of buildings both for the worthiness of the matter and the excellency of the workmanship fit to be an ornament and an honour rather to a kingdom than to a city, yet notwithstanding, these buildings generally are more sumptuous and more common in France than they are in Italy. For the Italian divideth his expense and endeavours part in the city, part in the country, but the greater part he bestows in the city. But the Frenchman employs all that he may wholly in the country, regarding the city little or nothing at all; for an inn serves his turn when he needs.
Howbeit, experience teacheth the residence of noblemen in cities makes them to be more glorious and most populous not only because they bring their people and their families unto it, but also more because a nobleman dispendeth much more largely, through the access of friends unto him and through the emulation of others, in a city where he is abiding and visited continually by honourable personages, than he spendeth in the country, where he liveth amongst the brute beasts of the field and converseth with plain country people and goes apparelled amongst them in plain and simple garments. Gorgeous and gallant buildings necessity must also follow, and sundry arts of all sorts and kinds must needs increase to excellency and full perfection in cities where noblemen do make their residence.
For this cause the Inca of Peru, that is, the king of Peru, meaning to ennoble and make great his royal city of Cuzco would not only that his caciques and his barons should inhabit there, but he did also command that every one of them should erect and build a palace therein for their dwelling; which when they had performed, each striving with the other who should erect the fairest, that city in short time grew with most princely buildings to be magnificent and great. Some dukes of Lombardy have in our days attempted such a thing.
Tigranes King of Armenia, when he set up the great Tigranocerta enforced a great number of gentlemen and honourable persons, with others of great wealth and substance, to remove themselves thither with all their goods whatsoever, sending forth a solemn proclamation withal that what goods soever were not brought thither should be confiscate clean.
And this is the cause that Venice in short time increased so notably in her beginning. For they that fled out of the countries there adjoining into the islands where Venice is miraculously seated, as it were, were noble personages and rich, and thither did they carry with them all their wealth and substance, with the which, giving themselves through the opportunity of that gulf to navigation and to traffic, they became within a while owners and masters of the city and of the islands thereunto adjoining; and with their wealth and riches they easily ennobled the country with magnificent and gorgeous buildings, and with inestimable treasure, and in the end brought it to that greatness and power in which we do both see it and admire it at this present.
