A letter arrived from Turin. The seal on it delineated a snake winding itself onto a golden column.
Onto His Grace Filippo Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan, Imperial Prince
Your Grace,
The first draft of the charter of the Italian Trade Union is finally finished, I send it enclosed. I hope it will please Your Grace, and will ease Your worries about a major Venetian involvement. Of course, this document is only a draft, thus may be modified – and in order to make the Union appealing for every party, I would like to propose Your Grace to send a delegation of merchants and nobles here to Turin, who would represent Your Grace during the negotiations. I also send Your Grace the proposed coat of arms of the Union. The boot represents not only the shape of the peninsula, as indicated by the more accurate maps, but it represents also that the Union is mainly a land-based federation, so our merchants would need many of such fine footwears. The eagle on the top, needless to say, represents the pro-Imperial nature of the Union.
I am looking forward to the upcoming negotiations. Please, do not hesitate to propose any changes to the charter.
Written in A.D. 1440, in Turin,
Baron Angelo Correano, Treasurer of the Duchy of Piemonte
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proposed coat of arms of the Union
Italian Trade Union
~ the charter ~
Introduction
The Italian Trade Union is founded by the Duchies of Milan, Modena and Piemonte, in order to promote the trade, therefore to increase the general welfare in the Italian peninsula, particulalry in its Imperial part. The Union is mainly a trade union, but, as its members are all devoted to the Imperial, Christian and Italian cause, it also has a purpose of promoting these ideas as well as increasing economical and political stability in the region.
Article I – The Trade Union
§1 – The members abolish each and every tolls and tariffs on merchants from an other member state.
§2 – No member of the Union may ban merchants from an other member.
§3 – All guilds and merchants owing alligence to a ruler, whose nation is a member of the Union, will agree not to lower their prices below minimum prices defined and regulated by the Union Council.
§4 – Should any nation place a trade embargo on a member of the Union, all members of the Union will in return place trade embargoes on that nation, lasting untill said nation lifts the trade embargo.
§5 – Should any nation declare war upon a member of the Union, all members of the Union will in return place trade embargoes on that nation, lasting untill said nation ends the hostile actions.
§6 – Should any nation place tolls or tariffs on merchants from a member of the Union, all members of the Union will in return impose tolls and tariffs of equal magnitude upon merchants from said nation, untill said nation lifts its tolls and tariffs.
§7 – The members agree to follow any agreements and treaty signed by the Union Council or by the chief negotiator of the Union, even if a member nation was not part of the Union when the said treaty was signed or agreement made.
Article II – The Monetary Union
§1 –The members of the Union agree to use a standardized monetary system, in order to eliminate, or at least minimize the merchants’ heavy losses caused by the money-changers’ greediness. The primal monetary unit of the Union shall be the Italian Florin. The members retain the right of minting coins, but agree to use a standardized weight, design, etcetera, defined below.
§2 – The exact shape, weight, and silver content of the standardized florins are defined by experts appointed by the Union Council. The sufficent alterations shall be discussed and defined in every five years.
§3 – The design of the head of the Italian Florin is up to the member state it was minted in.
§4 – The design of the tail of the Italian Florin delineates an Imperial eagle.
Article III – The Cultural Union
§1 – In order to promote the art and science, the members agree to cooperate in these fields too.
§2 – A university shall be founded by the Union in the city of Ferrara. To maintain this institute, the members commit themselves to donate 20,000 florins per year to this university.
§3 – An academy of arts shall be founded in the city of Milan. To maintain this institute, the members commit themselves to donate yearly 20,000 florins per year to this academy.
Article IV – Other Obligations
§1 – The members commit themselves to improve their roads and ports. Upon joining the Union, a member have to spend 100,000 florins [1 eco, via event] as soon as possible on building a fine highway connecting the said state with the nearest member. If the new member has no land connection to any other member, she has to spend the money on her main port city or her merchant fleet.
§2 – Upon joining, every member has to build a Union guild house in her main trading city at her own expense.
§3 – Although the members may sign independent trade treaties on their own, these treaties must not harm the interests of the Union. A treaty may be declared harming by the Union Council.
§4 – The members must not wage war against each other.
§5 – The members are strongly encouraged to give monetary help to an other member in need.
Article V – Membership
§1 – Every state holding territories in northern Italy may be accepted as a member with full powers. Other states of Italy, and those states bordering Italy and her seas may be accepted as associate members with lesser rights.
§2 – Applicating states must be accepted by all members in order to join.
§3 – Every member with full powers gets two votes in the Union Council.
Article VI – Associate Members
§1 – Every state holding territories in Italy, or territories bordering Italy or its seas may be accepted as associate members.
§2 – Associate members have lesser rights and fewer obligations than members with full powers. Associate members have to honour only the following paragraphs of this charter: §1-7 of Article I, §2 and §4-5 of Article IV, and all paragraphs of Articles V, VI, and VII.
§3 – Every associate member gets one vote in the Union Council.
Article VII – The Union Council
§1 – The Union Council is the governing body of the Italian Trade Union. In the Council, every member with full powers gets two votes, while the associate members get one. The Chairman of the Union does not get additional votes, but in a case of a tie, the Chairman’s vote decides.
§2 – The chief guild house of the Union shall be built in Turin, at the expense of the Union. The Council shall be held here, yearly.
§3 – Normally, cases are decided by a simple majority of votes. For changing this charter, relocating the chief guild house, banning a member, etcetera, require a total harmony. For cases of intermediate importance, a two-third majority is required.
§4 – The Chairman is elected for ten years periods. The Chairman has the duty of mediating the Council. The Chairman also acts as the chief negotiator of the Union, unless she appoints someone else.
