II.   Sovereign

A Guild is an association of craftsman formed and recognized by some grant or patent by monarch or sovereign authority to have exclusive franchise and enclosure over some type of trade as well as usage and teaching of certain skills.

The first formation of Guilds was from 1148 CE under the direction of Domenico II Morosini as Doga (Doge) of Venice (1148 - 1156), not Florence in the creation of the Cloth Merchants Guild:

(i) The creation of the Cloth Merchants Guild, also known as the Calimala effectively forced other major cloth trading cities to follow suit, with Pisa and Florence by 1150, Bologna by 1153 and even Bruges and Paris by 1160; and

(ii) While Venice invented the concept of Guild monopolies, Florence expanded the idea of Guilds by 1195 with the formal structure of the first seven (7) Guilds as companies operated by a consoli (council of members) and a single capo who managed all the business of the Guild; and

(iii) In 1223, the great Venetian Doga (Doge) Giovanni Bernadone Morosini (1223-1252) was elected under major structural reforms and introduced a complete new architecture for the Guilds, now known as the Arti (“art”) the “art” of guilds in the formation of twenty-four (24) Guilds comprising of eight (8) Arti Maggiori (“Greater Art”), eight (8) of the Arti Mediane (“Intermediate Art”) and eight (8) of the Arti Minori (“Minor Art”) all connected through the “Arts and Crafts” and then the “Game and Play of Chess” ; and

(iv) By 1248, the “Arti” model of Guilds and the advent of the rules of Chess had transformed Guild life in all major Feudal cities including Florence and Paris, with Guilds named “corps de métiers” and numbering over 100 in Paris alone; and

(v) The first guilds in England were from 1272 when Edward Ist was accompanied by a retinue of advisors from Venice, massive gold reserves and representatives of the leading families who had been instrumental in copying the formula of the guilds of Florence into Venice and were now eager to repeat the process in England.

The three (3) levels of Guilds as invented by the Venetians in 1223 along with the game of Chess are known as Arti Maggiori (“Greater Art”), Arti Mediane (“Intermediate Art”) and Arti Minori (“Minor Art”).

(i) The Arti Maggiori in order of authority were:

1. Arte de Guidici e Notai known as the Guild of Judges and Notaries
2. Arte de Mercante known as the Guild of (General) Merchants
3. Arte de Calimala known as the Guild of Foreign Cloth Merchants
4. Arte de Lana known as the Guild of the Wool Merchants
5. Arte del Cambio known as the Guild of the Money Changers
6. Arte della Seta known as the Guild of Silk Merchants
7. Arte dei Medici e Speziali known as the Guild of Physicians and Apothecaries
8. Arte de Vaiai e Pellicciai known as the Guild of the Furriers and Skinners

(ii) The Arti Mediane in order of authority were:

1. Arte dei droghiere known as the Guild of the Grocers
2. Arte dei pescherie known as the Guild of the Fishmongers
3. Arte dei Baccai known as the Guild of the Butchers
4. Arte dei Fabbri known as the Guild of the Blacksmiths
5. Arte dei Calzolai known as the Guild of the Shoemakers
6. Arte dei Maestri di Pietra e Legname known as the Guild of the Stonemasons and woodcarvers
7. Arte dei Linaioli e Rigattieri known as the Guild of the Linen and Second-Hand (Retail) Goods
8. Arti de Vinattieri known as the Guild of the Wine Merchants

(iii) The Arti Minori in order of authority were:

1. Arti degli Albergatori known as the Guild of the Innkeepers
2. Arti dei Cuoiai e Galigai known as the Guild of the Curriers and Tanners
3. Arti dei Oliandoli e Pizzicagnoli known as the Guild of the (Olive) Oil Merchants and Provision Dealers
4. Arti dei Correggiai known as the Guild of the Saddlers and Harness Makers
5. Arti dei Chiavaiuoli known as the Guild of the Locksmiths and Toolmakers
6. Arti dei Corazzai e Spadai known as the Guild of the Armourers and Swordsmiths
7. Arti dei Legnaioli known as the Guild of the Carpenters
8. Arti dei Fornai known as the Guild of the Bakers and Millers