Salve! My name is Tiberio Fonte, I’m an Italian, but more importantly a Genoan. I am a patron of the arts, a wealthy merchant, and a powerful politician. My family consists of my beautiful wife Clarissa, my son and heir Giovanni. My brilliant son has just started his formal education with his private tutor, who will tutor him in the same manner I was tutored. The year is 1439 and I currently live in the small, but marvelous city-state of Genoa.
Due to Genoa’s location along the coast much of the city’s inhabitants are traders or have business based around water. Genoa’s prime location in the north of the Tyrrhenian Sea allows us great control of the sea and the islands of Sardinia and Corsica. The city-state of Genoa is classified as a Republic however it is more of an oligarchy. Several powerful merchant families, including my own, control the city’s government representatives and more times than not the voice of the rich overshadows the voice of the artisans.
I myself am a patron and merchant, but have many other merchants working under me, and my trading group is one of the only trading groups to travel to Constantinople to purchase and exchange goods. My trade group monopolizes the distribution of the finest silks from China, as well as selling perfumes and spices from the Middle East. As well as importing foreign goods from Constantinople, we are a main exporter of Italian goods such as wines, olive oils and wools. Now that I have amassed a large fortune, I hope to fund exploration trips for eager explorers, expanding my trading empire and Genoan influence throughout the known world.
Since there aren’t any universities in Genoa, I received tutoring, from a private educator that was hired by my family. Through tutoring I was taught grammar, arithmetic, Latin, Greek, philosophy and rhetoric, as well as being educated in classic literature. As well as receiving tutoring, my father taught me how to run the family trade business, and slowly over the years I have expanded our control, and influence as a family.
Genoa has always been a Christian city, but as of late the actions have of the church has come under scrutiny throughout the city. Although there are still devout followers of Pope Eugene the IV, many educated citizens, like myself, have come to believe that the church is becoming corrupt. Since the beginning of the sale of indulgences, we have begun to question the papacy and leaders of the church. Instead of following the church, many intellectuals like myself have turned to the readings of authors such as Petrarch and Salutati. Many of us have now believe in a Christian-Humanism denomination, and while we shall never revoke god, we believe in the ability and value of humans and man kind.
Due to Genoa’s location along the coast much of the city’s inhabitants are traders or have business based around water. Genoa’s prime location in the north of the Tyrrhenian Sea allows us great control of the sea and the islands of Sardinia and Corsica. The city-state of Genoa is classified as a Republic however it is more of an oligarchy. Several powerful merchant families, including my own, control the city’s government representatives and more times than not the voice of the rich overshadows the voice of the artisans.
I myself am a patron and merchant, but have many other merchants working under me, and my trading group is one of the only trading groups to travel to Constantinople to purchase and exchange goods. My trade group monopolizes the distribution of the finest silks from China, as well as selling perfumes and spices from the Middle East. As well as importing foreign goods from Constantinople, we are a main exporter of Italian goods such as wines, olive oils and wools. Now that I have amassed a large fortune, I hope to fund exploration trips for eager explorers, expanding my trading empire and Genoan influence throughout the known world.
Since there aren’t any universities in Genoa, I received tutoring, from a private educator that was hired by my family. Through tutoring I was taught grammar, arithmetic, Latin, Greek, philosophy and rhetoric, as well as being educated in classic literature. As well as receiving tutoring, my father taught me how to run the family trade business, and slowly over the years I have expanded our control, and influence as a family.
Genoa has always been a Christian city, but as of late the actions have of the church has come under scrutiny throughout the city. Although there are still devout followers of Pope Eugene the IV, many educated citizens, like myself, have come to believe that the church is becoming corrupt. Since the beginning of the sale of indulgences, we have begun to question the papacy and leaders of the church. Instead of following the church, many intellectuals like myself have turned to the readings of authors such as Petrarch and Salutati. Many of us have now believe in a Christian-Humanism denomination, and while we shall never revoke god, we believe in the ability and value of humans and man kind.
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