In Germany and Italy central authority was unknown, and local lords
in Germany and independent cities in Italy built defensive works. By the
end of the eleventh century in Italy, townspeople in Venice, Milan, and
Lucca sought the king’s protection from feudal lords. The kings soon realized
that using the city money enabled them to become independent
of their nobility by hiring mercenary troops. Italian cities were among
the largest and most prosperous in Europe.
World History
