The originality of Italian city-states didn't only deal with the Renaissance but also their precociously innovative forms of political structure. During the 14th and 15th centuries republics were oligarchies of wealthy families. The most stable oligarchies were Venice, Siena, Lucca, and Florence. Some city-states began to be ruled by a single family, moreover, Milan, Visconti family, and the Sforza family. By contrast, Venice was a prospering port city ruled by the Senate. The Great Council made up of about 2,500 enfranchised patricians that elected the Senate. Similar to the Alps, the Italian states developed efficient state bureaucracies were each individual government improved the effectiveness of state
