Politics and Justice in Late Medieval BolognaThis book is the first to investigate the practice of summary justice in a late medieval Italian commune. In delineating the political and social context of that development in late medieval Bologna, it also is the first to study the phenomenon of oligarchy not only at the level of the executive body of a commune, but also in the broader councils of commune and popolo, as well as among the ranks of the enfranchised political class. The dominant popolo party constructed itself through multiple forms of exclusion that deeply affected the administration of justice and led to the rise of new institutions of judicial appeal and equity. Exclusion also led to shifting concepts of the legal status and perceptions of social identity of insider and outsider, of popolano and magnate, as revealed in the testimony of witnesses in trial records. Bologna's rich archival sources make it possible to bring a new perspective to key issues in legal and social history. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Setting the Boundaries | 15 |
Part II Prosecuting the Excluded | 43 |
Councils of the Commune | 69 |
Councils of the Popolo | 113 |
Legal Definitions | 135 |
Part II Perceptions of Identity and Proofs of Status | 183 |
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Common terms and phrases
according accusation acquittal Additions anziani appear arms societies authority Bologna Bononie brother Busta called Capitano century charged claimed commune Comune-Governo concerning condam domini Consiglio del Popolo consilium contado Council court crime defense described earlier early elected enrolled entry example families father five fols four Giacomo Giovanni Giudici given granted groups guilds held imputed included individuals Inquisitiones Italy judge July June justice knights Lambertazzi late later legislation magnates major March Mazzo membership merchants names nobles notaries noted original party penalty Pepoli percent period person petition Pietro podesta political popolani popular societies pounds present privileged properties Protestacio protester querela quod records relatives removed response Riformagioni Rubric rural commune Sacred sapientes served sons specified status Table thirteenth tion torture trial witnesses