Overview

The Princes of Florence is a game set during the Italian Renaissance where players assume the roles of aristocratic dynasty heads. Over 7 rounds, players build Buildings, cultivate Landscapes, and invite Profession cards (artists and scholars) to produce great Works in their Principalities. Works earn Prestige Points (PP) based on their Work Value (WV), and the player with the most PP after 7 rounds wins.

Components

• 1 game board with fame track and round/minimum WV table
• 5 player boards (Principalities with rule summaries)
• 30 Buildings (3 each of 10 types)
• 18 Landscapes (6 each of Forest, Lake, Park)
• 12 Freedoms (4 each of Travel, Religion, Opinion)
• 6 Builders (square tiles)
• 7 Jesters (round tiles)
• 66 cards: 21 Profession cards, 14 Prestige cards, 20 Bonus cards, 5 Recruiting cards, 6 expansion cards
• Money: 27x100, 12x500, 14x1000 Florin
• 6 figures and 6 markers

Setup

1. Place game board centrally. Each player takes 1 player board, 1 marker, 1 figure, 3 Profession cards, and 3500 Florin.
2. Sort auction items (Forests, Builders, Lakes, Parks, Jesters) left of board.
3. Sort action items (Buildings, remaining Profession cards, Freedoms, Bonus cards) right of board.
4. With 3 players, use only 2 of each Freedom type.
5. Place round marker on round 1.

Turn Structure

Each of the 7 rounds has two phases:

Phase 1: Auction

One item is auctioned each round. Starting with the start player, each player may bid on one Auction item:

• Landscapes: Forest, Lake, or Park (minimum bid: 200 Florin)
• Jesters (minimum bid: 200 Florin)
• Builders (minimum bid: 200 Florin)

Bidding proceeds clockwise. Highest bidder pays and takes the item. Each player may win at most 1 item per auction phase. In each round, exactly the number of items equal to the number of players are auctioned. Each player must buy exactly 1 item.

Phase 2: Actions

In player order, each player performs 2 actions from the following list (may not repeat the same action twice):

1. Build a Building: Pay 200 Florin. Place a Building tile on your Principality (must fit without overlapping).
2. Introduce a Freedom: Pay cost shown (varies). Place Freedom tile on your board.
3. Produce a Work: Play a Profession card and produce a Work. Calculate Work Value (WV) based on matching Buildings, Landscapes, Freedoms, Builders, and Jesters. Must meet minimum WV for current round. Earn PP and/or Florin.
4. Buy a Bonus Card: Pay 300 Florin. Draw 1 Bonus card.
5. Take a Profession Card: Draw 1 new Profession card from the supply.
6. Recruit a Builder or Jester: Hire one using a Recruiting card.

Actions

Producing a Work

• Play a Profession card. Each profession requires specific Buildings and prefers certain Landscapes.
• Work Value = base value + bonuses from matching Buildings, Landscapes, Freedoms, Jesters, and Builders.
• Each matching Building: +3 WV
• Each matching Landscape: +3 WV
• Each Freedom: +3 WV
• Each Jester: +2 WV
• Builder: reduces building costs
• Must meet minimum WV for the current round (increases each round).
• The player then chooses how to split the WV: 1 PP per WV point, OR convert some WV to Florin (different exchange rates depending on round).

Scoring / Victory Conditions

After 7 rounds, add end-game scoring:

• Prestige cards provide bonus PP based on various conditions.
• Bonus cards may award additional PP.
• Each remaining Florin has no VP value (only useful for in-game purchases).

The player with the most PP wins.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Buildings must physically fit on the player board grid without overlapping other Buildings or Landscapes.
• Minimum WV increases each round (shown on the round track).
• Players may not perform the same action twice in one round.
• Freedoms can only be obtained once each (max 1 Travel, 1 Religion, 1 Opinion per player).
• Jesters and Builders are limited in supply.
• With 3 players, reduce Freedom tiles to 2 of each type.

Player Reference

Auction Items	Minimum Bid
Forest, Lake, Park	200 Florin
Jester	200 Florin
Builder	200 Florin

Action (Phase 2)	Cost
Build a Building	200 Florin
Introduce a Freedom	Variable
Produce a Work	Free (but needs WV)
Buy Bonus Card	300 Florin
Take Profession Card	Free

Win: Most Prestige Points after 7 rounds.