Intermittently and imperfectly democratic (or at least republican) cities such as Venice, Florence, Milan, and Rome managed to build impressive works. The Engli

Intermittently and imperfectly democratic (or at least republican) cities such as Venice, Florence, Milan, and Rome managed to build impressive works. The English monarchs would have loved to be absolute, but didn't ever quite manage it, yet London isn't too shabby. Slate sounds a bit like Harry Lyme in The Third Man contrasting Switzerland and Florence, anyway.