One thing I learned in Florence is when the plague came the rich families from Siena and Florence took two different approaches. In Florence, some of the families noticed they might not last so they decided to, not sure if distribute wealth is the right word, but they gave a lot to the city and remaining people. They knew it would be needed for rebuilding. Siena did not and according to my guide it’s the reason Florence flourished and Siena became a lesser known city.
There are many reasons Florence flourished. Another reason Sienna didn’t is because people stopped doing pilgrimages to Jerusalem. Siena relied on these pilgrims and one big thing the banks did was exchange various currencies.
A big reason was Spain united with Florence and together took out Siena. If the Italian War went the other way, Siena would have been ascendant and Florence just a subdued duchy.
