The Duke and the Culture of Individual Distinction

The great challenge posed by the construction of a state based around a noble and princely structure led first of all to confrontation with those republican ideals that continued to guide large and small communities in their day-to-day operation. Once again, the Visconti and the Sforza did not merely set about seeking a peaceful modus vivendi, but attempted to dismantle competing cultures through the development of an alternative model of social organization, based on distinctions among men. Communitary egalitarianism was opposed by the valorization of individual excellence, which the prince acknowledged on the basis of status, wealth, and local influence. This resulted in a frontal attack on the political subjectivity of the communities, which, however, reacted in different ways in the cities and in the countryside. This chapter focuses on these aspects.