Lords, sovereigns, and merchants: A new interpretation of L’Aquila’s political history in the fourteenth and fifteenth century

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Pierluigi Terenzi
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8225-9697

Abstract




This essay offers a reinterpretation of the political history of L’Aquila between the middle of the fourteenth and the end of the fifteenth century, in order to give due weight to three political actors: urban lords, monarchy, merchants. Through the analysis of the institutional forms and procedures, as well as of social groups and factions, the essay stresses the centrality of mer- chants in shaping political structure and representation, sheds light on the relations between the partes and the ruling groups and on the synergy between the latter and urban lords. That synergy was crucial for the city’s control over the contado – the political role of which is analysed – and for negotiation with the monarchy, which constituted a resource for the community. Finally, this essay discusses some aspects of local political culture.




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How to Cite
Terenzi, Pierluigi. 2021. “Lords, Sovereigns, and Merchants: A New Interpretation of L’Aquila’s Political History in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Century”. Reti Medievali Journal 22 (1). https://doi.org/10.6092/1593-2214/8049.
Section
Essayes in Monographic Section