Popolo Minuto

a stratum of the urban poor in Italian communes of the 13th to 15th centuries, as distinguished from the popolo grasso. In mid-13th century Florence the popolo minuto consisted of members of the newer guilds, but by the mid-14th century the term had been extended to include the masses of hired workers who did not belong to guilds. By the late 14th century, popolo minuto referred primarily to the ciompi.