When Amando di Mantoneschi came to power, he did not make all the reforms he had promised. He put restrictions on the guilds, limiting their membership to a certain class of income. He separated the ghettos to reduce violence. He moved into the Palace. By the time people had realised that he had caused so much damage, he was too powerful a tyrant to take down.
The restrictions placed on the guilds meant that ordinary people couldn’t be professionals as they used to be. In 1308, a few years after the law had first been established, Tomaso d’Alerco secretly began La Mace d’Ars, an illegal guild for those who couldn’t afford membership of an official guild. It offered protection and cooperation, it would help its members to succeed in their chosen occupation. Unknown to d’Alerco such an organisation had already begun. Deep in the ghettos, the Orzi Verci had formed for exactly the same purpose. Though it did not have the financial standing of the Mace d’Ars, it certainly had the membership.
After a little while, the respective guilds became aware of one another, and the authorities became aware of both of their existences. Each was shocked of the prospect of competition, and a long and bloody feud began between the two guilds. Of course the feud is very covertly conducted, since its discovery would lead to all illegal guild members being executed by the Duke.
Thus we find the city as it is today, divided by race and alleigance, its conflicts and hatreds concealed for fear of the oppressive family of tyrants who rule over it. Thus it has been for a century since the accession of the Mantoneschi.
