The city-states of northern Italy differed from most of Europe because in the Italian city-states a. the feudal nobility played a much more important role in government than elsewhere in Europe. b. commercial activity flourished due to a monopoly of trade in Mediterranean areas. c. the feudal nobility refused to form alliances with urban elites. d. no guilds or corporate institutions developed.

Option B

Explanation:

The correct option is option B i.e commercial activity flourished due to a monopoly of trade in the Mediterranean seas. The other options are invalid due to the fact that the other options are communal variables that held valid in other European regions such as France and Spain. The nobility in these countries played an enormous role in the governments of their respective countries, such as the case was in Italy, with nobles being in charge of important positions and responsible for policy making decisions. The power pf feudal nobles was vastly propagated by forming key alliances with the urban elite (hence the discord between the nobility and the common class). Guilds and corporate institutions were, ofcourse, historically developed widely in most of the European regions. The differing factor here is Italy's monopoly over the heavy trade in over the Mediterranean seas

b. commercial activity flourished due to a monopoly of trade in Mediterranean areas.

Explanation:

small european communities with shared traditions consolidated into large new states (apex)