CHAPTER I
The custom of ancient republics to plant colonies， and the advantage of it--Increased population tends to make countries more healthy--Origin of Florence--Aggrandizement of Florence--Origin of the name of Florence--Destruction of Florence by Totila--The Florentines take Fiesole--The first division in Florence， and the cause of it--Buondelmonti--Buondelmonti slain--Guelphs and Ghibellines in Florence--Guelphic families--Ghibelline families--The two factions come to terms.
Among the great and wonderful institutions of the republics and principalities of antiquity that have now gone into disuse， was that by means of which towns and cities were from time to time established；and there is nothing more worthy the attention of a great prince， or of a well-regulated republic， or that confers so many advantages upon a province， as the settlement of new places， where men are drawn together for mutual accommodation and defense. This may easily be done， by sending people to reside in recently acquired or uninhabited countries. Besides causing the establishment of new cities， these removals render a conquered country more secure， and keep the inhabitants of a province properly distributed. Thus， deriving the greatest attainable comfort， the inhabitants increase rapidly， are more prompt to attack others， and defend themselves with greater assurance. This custom， by the unwise practice of princes and republics， having gone into desuetude， the ruin and weakness of territories has followed； for this ordination is that by which alone empires are made secure， and countries become populated. Safety is the result of it； because the colony which a prince establishes in a newly acquired country， is like a fortress and a guard， to keep the inhabitants in fidelity and obedience. Neither can a province be wholly occupied and preserve a proper distribution of its inhabitants without this regulation； for all districts are not equally healthy， and hence some will abound to overflowing， while others are void； and if there be no method of withdrawing them from places in which they increase too rapidly， and planting them where they are too few the country would soon be wasted； for one part would become a desert， and the other a dense and wretched population. And， as nature cannot repair this disorder， it is necessary that industry should effect it， for unhealthy localities become wholesome when a numerous population is brought into them. With cultivation the earth becomes fruitful， and the air is purified with fires--remedies which nature cannot provide.
The city of Venice proves the correctness of these remarks. Being placed in a marshy and unwholesome situation， it became healthy only by the number of industrious individuals who were drawn together.
Pisa， too， on account of its unwholesome air， was never filled with inhabitants， till the Saracens， having destroyed Genoa and rendered her rivers unnavigable， caused the Genoese to migrate thither in vast numbers， and thus render her populous and powerful. Where the use of colonies is not adopted， conquered countries are held with great difficulty； districts once uninhabited still remain so， and those which populate quickly are not relieved. Hence it is that many places of the world， and particularly in Italy， in comparison of ancient times， have become deserts. This has wholly arisen and proceeded from the negligence of princes， who have lost all appetite for true glory， and of republics which no longer possess institutions that deserve praise. In ancient times， by means of colonies， new cities frequently arose， and those already begun were enlarged， as was the case with Florence， which had its beginning from Fiesole， and its increase from colonies.
It is exceedingly probable， as Dante and Giovanni Villani show， that the city of Fiesole， being situate upon the summit of the mountain， in order that her markets might be more frequented， and afford greater accommodation for those who brought merchandise， would appoint the place in which to told them， not upon the hill， but in the plain， between the foot of the mountain and the river Arno. I imagine these markets to have occasioned the first erections that were made in those places， and to have induced merchants to wish for commodious warehouses for the reception of their goods， and which， in time， became substantial buildings. And afterward， when the Romans， having conquered the Carthaginians， rendered Italy secure from foreign invasion， these buildings would greatly increase； for men never endure inconveniences unless some powerful necessity compels them. Thus， although the fear of war induces a willingness to occupy places strong and difficult of access， as soon as the cause of alarm is removed， men gladly resort to more convenient and easily attainable localities.
Hence， the security to which the reputation of the Roman republic gave birth， caused the inhabitants， having begun in the manner described， to increase so much as to form a town， this was at first called the Villa Arnina. After this occurred the civil wars between Marius and Sylla； then those of C鎠ar， and Pompey； and next those of the murderers of C鎠ar， and the parties who undertook to avenge his death.
Therefore， first by Sylla， and afterward by the three Roman citizens， who， having avenged the death of C鎠ar， divided the empire among themselves， colonies were sent to Fiesole， which， either in part or in whole， fixed their habitations in the plain， near to the then rising town. By this increase， the place became so filled with dwellings， that it might with propriety be enumerated among the cities of Italy.
