Why was merchantism looked down upon as for peasants and Jews in most of Europe, but so heavily connected to everyday life and even governing in Italy during the middle ages?
Question focused on the latter point, specifically.
>>1317549
Italy remained somewhat urban during the Middle Ages, what with being the centre of the former Roman Empire and all, and cities = trade.
>>1317549
Ships sink, prices change, the power a Merchant held was always in flux and they depended on cooperation with merchants and principalities for security.
However a landowner was a military power and had complete control of life and death over everyone on their land, they were a class above a merchant. To gain notoriety like the Borgias they needed control over a state.
>>1317549
The ruling elite always try to keep themselves in power and potential rivals in check. This is why feudal societies-- where the elite are a rural warrior class-- treats merchants as beneath contempt,and also why modern liberal capitalist societies treat aristocrats as irrelevant and inherently morally bankrupt.
>>1317684
>Aristocrats will always get btfo by Merchants whenever the competition is fair
>mfw people go "but muh superior noble genes"
