Coluccio Salutati (1331-1406) was one of the most important political and cultural leaders of Renaissance Florence. Events Stefan Dusan declares himself king of Serbia Start of the reign of Emperor Kogon of Japan, first of the Northern Ashikaga Pretenders Births Deaths Abulfeda, geographer Categories: 1331 ... Events Construction of Forbidden City begins in Beijing. ... By Region: Italian Renaissance Northern Renaissance *French Renaissance *German Renaissance *English Renaissance The Renaissance was an influential cultural movement which brought about a period of scientific revolution and artistic transformation, at the dawn of modern European history. ... Florence (Italian, Firenze) is a city in the center of Tuscany, in central Italy, on the Arno River, with a population of around 400,000, plus a suburban population in excess of 200,000. ...

In 1375 Coluccio was appointed Chancellor of Florence, the most important position in the bureaucracy of the Florentine Republic. The most important achievement of his time in office was saving Florence from the ambitions of Giangaleazzo Visconti of Milan. Despite being severely outclassed by the Milanese forces, the Florentines succeeded in holding on to their independence over twelve years of war. Coluccio played an important part in rallying the Florentine people to defend their traditional liberty and republicanism. The war ended upon the death of Giangaleazzo in 1402, leaving Florence in a powerful position in northern Italy. Events October 24 - Valdemar IV of Denmark dies and is succeeded by his grandson Olaf III of Denmark. ... The Chancellor of Florence held the most important position in the bureaucracy of the Florentine Republic but did not hold any political power. ... Bureaucracy is a sociological concept of government and its institutions as an organizational structure characterized by regularized procedure, division of responsibility, hierarchy, and impersonal relationships. ... Giangaleazzo Visconti (1351-1406) was the first Duke of Milan and he ruled the city for much of the early Renaissance. ... Location within Italy Piazza della Scala Milan (Italian: Milano; Milanese dialect: Milán) is the main city in northern Italy, and is located in the plains of Lombardy, the most populated and developed of Italian regions. ... Events September 14 - Battle of Homildon Hill. ...

Coluccio's cultural achievements are perhaps even greater than his political ones. A skilled writer and orator, Collucio drew heavily upon the classical tradition. He spent much of his salary on amassing a collection of 800 books, a large library by the standards of the time. He also pursued classical manuscripts, making a number of important discoveries, the most important being the lost letters of Cicero, which overturned the entire medieval conception of the Roman statesman. Coluccio also did important studies of history, tying Florence's origin not to the Roman Empire but to the Roman Republic. In his lifetime, the study of secular literature, especially pagan literature, was strongly frowned upon by the Roman Catholic Church. Coluccio played an important part in changing these viewpoints, frequently engaging in theological debates on the merits of pagan literature with Church officials. Marcus Tullius Cicero (January 3, 106 BC – December 7, 43 BC) was an orator and statesman of Ancient Rome, and is generally considered the greatest Latin prose stylist. ... The Roman Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Ancient Roman polity in the centuries following its reorganization under the leadership of Octavian (better known as Caesar Augustus). ... See also Roman Republic (18th century) and Roman Republic (19th century) The Roman Republic (Latin: Res Publica Romanorum) was the representative government of Rome and its territories from 510 BC until the establishment of the Roman Empire, sometimes placed at 44 BC (the year of Caesars appointment as perpetual... The Roman Catholic Church is the largest Christian body with over 1. ...