The nobles lived on large estates outside the city walls. They owned most of the city’s land, so the nobles controlled. The nobles served as military officers, royal advisers and as politicians. Baldassare Castiglione described the proper manners of a noble in The Book of the Courtier(1528). Castiglione wrote that a noble must have training to be an able warrior and social talents such as wit, the ability to dance, and "a certain grace that makes all his activities seem effortless and unconscious."
The nobles were disdainful of the merchant class, who gained wealth in industries like wool processing, shipbuilding and banking. The merchants sought to protect their wealth by controlling the government and marrying into noble families. They became
The nobles were disdainful of the merchant class, who gained wealth in industries like wool processing, shipbuilding and banking. The merchants sought to protect their wealth by controlling the government and marrying into noble families. They became