Stairway to glory: a late medieval Italy TL

I'm not the author. It' just an awesome map used in a timeline that demands an update, and I was wondering where you saw it is all.

Fair enough :) and thanks for thinking this TL deserves an update!

As to the update, I am not sure I see much long term prospects for the Della Scala, namely, I don't think I can have them realistically do nation-building in the part of Italy they would end up controlling, which was my initial idea. It could last for another generation maybe, but there will always be cadets/bastards/usurpers ready to find common cause with external polities or local rebels (Padua here is the main culprit, either I raze it to the ground - and lose my biggest city- or it will revolt, and call in Venice, as soon as I try to transform my collection of signorie into something vaguely resembling a "centralized" state).

Also, there is the problem with Milano: to become hegemons in the Po valley the Scala have to beat Milan sooner or later. This could happen under the right set of circumstances, but then my Verona TL would basically become indistinguishable from a Milan TL and at that point, why not use someone like GG Visconti?

At the moment my interest has also swinged back to South Italy, I will probably try to do an Hohenstaufen TL as soon as I have a bit more spare time.
 
I'm sorry to hear that; I was really enjoying the TL so far. I suppose the issue with writing a TL with a specific goal in mind is that it's hard to motivate yourself once the goal starts looking less realistic. You could always write a TL exploring the butterflies of a Della Scala polity holding onto power in that part of Italy for a generation or two, but without direction it might get tough to do it well.

That Hohenstaufen TL sounds interesting though. I'll probably be following that as well once you get around to it.
 
Fair enough :) and thanks for thinking this TL deserves an update!

As to the update, I am not sure I see much long term prospects for the Della Scala, namely, I don't think I can have them realistically do nation-building in the part of Italy they would end up controlling, which was my initial idea. It could last for another generation maybe, but there will always be cadets/bastards/usurpers ready to find common cause with external polities or local rebels (Padua here is the main culprit, either I raze it to the ground - and lose my biggest city- or it will revolt, and call in Venice, as soon as I try to transform my collection of signorie into something vaguely resembling a "centralized" state).

Also, there is the problem with Milano: to become hegemons in the Po valley the Scala have to beat Milan sooner or later. This could happen under the right set of circumstances, but then my Verona TL would basically become indistinguishable from a Milan TL and at that point, why not use someone like GG Visconti?

At the moment my interest has also swinged back to South Italy, I will probably try to do an Hohenstaufen TL as soon as I have a bit more spare time.
What if you could decapitate Venice?
 
What if you could decapitate Venice?

Don't see how that could help. Venice had a rich urban centers which has all but unassailable and one of the most effective governments ever to exist, and she still got squashed hard when she tried to become hegemon of Northern Italy.

Dynasties in contrast are worse off because they are much less stable and much more dependent on the monarch. Honestly I'd just do a GIan Galliano survives (longer) timeline with Milan centralizing into Lombardy, and Venice limited to the city and a sliver on the terrafirma plus her overseas holdings.
 
Well, you could always have more humble aims ;): instead of a Verona that tries to unify Northern Italy, only having a surviving independent Verona is already interesting enough. Another player for the mess that were Italian politics in the late Middle Ages.
 
Don't see how that could help. Venice had a rich urban centers which has all but unassailable and one of the most effective governments ever to exist, and she still got squashed hard when she tried to become hegemon of Northern Italy.

Dynasties in contrast are worse off because they are much less stable and much more dependent on the monarch. Honestly I'd just do a GIan Galliano survives (longer) timeline with Milan centralizing into Lombardy, and Venice limited to the city and a sliver on the terrafirma plus her overseas holdings.

The Chioggia War goes more successfully for Genoa. Venice goes into a long decline, losing its wealth and colonies, and Verona fills the void.
 
One of the best incomplete TL I have ever read shame you didn't continue it. It was an awesome reading.
 
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