Why Italy

How was Northern Italy different from Southern Italy at the beginning of the Renaissance?

Northern Italy was more similar to Northern Europe. Northern Italy was still in the feudal system. Southern Italy was locked in a civil war. Southern Italy was more similar to Northern Europe.

Public Comments

1. A is the best answer, as it is today. Northern Italy had all the largest and wealthiest cities (with the exception of Naples), managed most of Italy's international trade, and ran the banking system for Italy. Southern Italy was in a feudal system, only in an informal sense...Most farmers would lease their land as in a feudal system, from a wealthy landowner; but the landowner would not be a nobleman. All the above factors (except for land ownership) are true for Italy today, except that the North is also more industrialized than the South.
2. naz f is alittle wrong: naples is not in the north but it is maybe one of the most important cities of the south of italy: it was very powerful thanks to its important seaport. southern italy was not similar to northern europe(neither today, I live in the south, there are still a lot of differences and the north is much more powerful and advanced than the south). in the north there where a lot of little states, which were under the control of some important and rich families. the northern was much more developped than the southern, where there where the "borboni"(I don't know how to say it in english..they had spanish origins) and had as consequence the exploitation of lands and people who were submitted to em. maybe the north was similar to the northern europe, even if it was basically different because while in the europe there were already powerful states and empires, northern italy was divided: italy didn't really exist at that very moment. only in 1800 after the industrial revolution, the northern italy will really develop its resources, while the southern italy will still have a lot of problems in industrialization and will be still devided until 1860, after garibaldi's work. anyway, even today there are still a lot of differences between the southern and northern italy: in the south in fact resources are still missing, politicians are corrupted and the services don't work.this situation is also a reflection of those years. that's why I can't see the time for leave and go living in the north, where i'm going to study and where there'are more opportunities of job i hope it's clear, i know that my english is not very good.anyway I hope it could be good for you. bye