Lives of the early Medici : $b As told in their correspondence
History
Lives of the early Medici : $b As told in their correspondence
Florence (Italy) -- History; Medici, Cosimo de', 1389-1464; Medici, House of; Medici, Lorenzo de', 1449-1492; Medici, Piero de', 1416-1469
[172] The _catasto_ of 1427 was a register or list of all who were
bound to pay taxes to the Commune of Florence. It runs: “1. Ten
officials are to be appointed to compile the register. 2. All families
liable to be taxed are to be inscribed in four books; their number,
ages, health, capacity, and occupation. 3. All their possessions,
movable and immovable, are to be inscribed, whether within the confines
of the State or abroad, monies in existence, or what is owing to them,
their slaves and whatever belongs to them. 4. In the same way other
partial _catasti_ shall be drawn up, as of peasants, universities, and
guilds, foreigners and other persons not generally liable to be taxed.
5. The income of each separate possession is to be noted, so that the
capital value may be ascertained, and 100 florins shall be taken as
the valuation for every 7 florins of income. 6. From such valuation
shall be deducted the inherent expenses, rent of houses, of shops, the
price of horses for personal use, and 2 florins per head. 7. The net
income being thus reduced, 10 golden soldi are to be paid on every 100
golden florins, equal to the tenth part of a percentage at 5 per cent.
8. On every person deducted as above, between eighteen years of age
and sixty, an arbitrary tax shall be imposed, not to exceed 2 florins.
9. It is left to the discretion of the officials, in case no surplus
remains after the above deductions, to impose a tax to be arranged with
the persons taxed. 10. Whoso declares a false income shall have his
possessions confiscated. 11. Should any contention arise the decision
of the officials is final; they may not diminish the amount of the tax,
save for the repayment of a dower, until the new _catasto_, without
the approbation of the Great Council, but they may augment it. 12.
The _catasto_ is to be corrected and compiled anew every three years.
13. All taxes are henceforward to be regulated by the _catasto_.”
_Osservatore Fiorentino_, i. 91. Signor A. Rabbini, _Dell’ accertamento
catastale_, &c., defines the _catasto_ as at present existing as “a
public document serving as an absolutely legal and fundamental base
for the imposition of taxes on landed property and a guide in judicial
or administrative procedure involving the settlement of questions
regarding landed property and the rights and obligations of the owners
thereof.”
[173] Luca Landucci in his Diary (1450-1516) notes: “On June 18, 1472,
came a horseman with the olive branch [from Volterra] announcing the
capitulation; the people and their property to be respected. Great was
the rejoicing. But when we entered the city one of their officers,
a Venetian, shouted “Pillage,” and our men began to pillage and we
could not stop them or observe the articles of capitulation. The Count
Federigo d’Urbino caused the Venetian and a Sienese to be hung.”
_Diario Fiorentino di Luca Landucci._ Firenze, 1883. See also _La Vita
Italiano nel Rinascimenta, Lorenzo de’ Medici_, E. Masi, i. 31. Milano,
1893.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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