alternatehistory.com

Gaeta, Amafi, Naples and more cities in the Italian south were at the turn of the 11th century some of the richest and most populous cities of the time with Syracuse reaching 200,000 at its peak. However they eventually came under the rein of despots while their economies faltered in contrast to their brothers in Northern Italy that found new trade routes, industry, and formed city leagues to defend themselves.

There's a variety of explanations to their fall from poor hinterlands to arab-christian-byzantine strife to political isolation but I'm curious to what you think was the reason(s) the south faltered.
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