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I found the quote, “Poggio understood that history has had its full measure of human folly and wickedness”, stated on page 159 particularly interesting. I find it interesting that even at this early stage of society, there was this awareness that there was corruption. Moreover, I feel as if Poggio–who happened to work closely with the pope and other higher ranking individuals speaking on the matter is even more telling since he is exposed to their behaviors and actions many individuals may not see. 

It appears frequently throughout the chapter that Poggio believes Italy is not what it used to be during its prime. This surprised me as it pictured Italy during this time to be somewhat filled with the arts and scholarly writings. However, it appears that it was for the majority a depressing and not a prosperous country by any means. For instance, on page 159 it states that the population had dwindled, poverty increased, and what was once extravagant architecture was now rumbling. When putting this time period in a grander perspective and timeline of European history, it makes sense that it would not be a place that was prosperous. Italy was still recovering from the plague and the economy was in shambles. 

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The way that Constance was following the mass migration of individuals reminds me of how life in large cities such as New York and Chicago were following the industrial revolution. For example, both experienced an increase of crime and violence due to the sheer amount of people in such a small area. Additionally, housing was an issue–resulting in people being left to crowd in small tenements. However, similar to the increase of the market in Constance, industries in these large cities were able to flourish. For example, in New York, there was a revolution in regards to architecture and technology. 

Q- How does Italy recover from this period of time?