The cities of northern Italy differed from most of the rest of Europe in all the following ways EXCEPT
a. they continued to be under the effective control of the nobility.
b. their wealth came from commerce and industry.
c. they had more regular contact with countries outside of Europe.
d. they had more visible reminders of Rome's grandeur than most other parts of Europe.
e. their internal politics meant that they had to regularly take into account the interests of small merchants and artisans.