. "As in OTL, in 1250 the people of Florence elected for the first time the 36 caporali di popolo, a political counterweight to the nobles. The use of cannons in Europe was first mentioned 1326 in a Florentine document. Since 1327, after the fall of Constantinople many Byzantines fled to Florence. The knowledge they brought to Western Europe helped spawning the \"Rinascita\" (it wasn't called that at this time) that already started in the last century. 1348, the displaced Constantinopolitans helped founding a Platonic Academy in Florence. The knowledge of Greek started to spread throughout Italy. In 1330, Florence acquired Lucca for 75 000 florin (gold coins). 1376, Giovanni de Medici got dictatorial power in the city; since the republic felt threatened by the beggars roaming in Italy, the Medici could keep and strengthen their power. They also projected their power outwards: 1380, after having taken over other city states like Pistoia and Arezzo, now they conquered Ghibelline Pisa, acquiring a harbor (which was later replaced by Livorno). In 1387, Florence defended successfully against various mercenary groups who roamed through the Italian peninsula after the first Aquitainian War had ended. The family degli Albizzi tried to cooperate with the mercenaries to oust the Medici from power, but were banned in the end."@en . . . . . . . . "As in OTL, in 1250 the people of Florence elected for the first time the 36 caporali di popolo, a political counterweight to the nobles. The use of cannons in Europe was first mentioned 1326 in a Florentine document. Since 1327, after the fall of Constantinople many Byzantines fled to Florence. The knowledge they brought to Western Europe helped spawning the \"Rinascita\" (it wasn't called that at this time) that already started in the last century. 1348, the displaced Constantinopolitans helped founding a Platonic Academy in Florence. The knowledge of Greek started to spread throughout Italy."@en . . . . "Florence (Chaos)"@en . . . .