PopularProtestandIdealsofDemocracyinLateRenaissanceItalyisthefirststudytoanalysepopularprotestacrosstheItalianpeninsulaandtheVenetiancoloniesduringtheearlymodernperiod,1494to1559.Drawingonover100contemporarychroniclesanddiaries,thefifty-eightvolumesofMarinSanudo’sdiplomaticdispatches,mercantileletters,andcommentary,and586collectivesupplicationsscatteredthrougharchivalsourcesfromtownsandvillagesintheGrandduchyofMilan,SamuelK.Cohn,Jr.placestheseincidentsandtheirpatternsincomparativeperspectives,firstwiththelatemedievalheydayofpopularrevoltandthenwithregionsnorthoftheAlps.Cohnfindsnewdevelopmentsduringtheearlymodernperiodsuchasanincreaseinwomenrebels,mutiniesofsoldiers,andnewtacticsofrevoltssuchasshopclosures,peacefuldemonstrationsofstrength,anduseofreligiousprocessionsfordiscussionsoftacticsandstrategiesforobtaininglogisticadvantage.Atthesametime,theseprotestsshowconvergenceswiththemedievalItalianpast,withleaderscomingalmostexclusivelyfromtheranksofnonelites,religiousideologyplayingasurprisinglyminorrole,andthemajorityofrevoltscentringoverwhelmingintownsandcities.Finally,thisstudydemonstratesthatdemocraciesdonotjustdieundertheduressofmilitaryoccupationandgrowingpowersofautocraticregimes.Idealsofrepresentationandequalitynotonlypersisted;theycouldemergeinnewformsandwithgreatersophistication.
