Conflict management on the streets in the fourteenth century : a case study of Bologna in context

Abstract

This thesis examines conflict management on the streets in early fourteenth century Bologna with brief comparative reference to other Italian communes, Pistoia in particular. It asks how small-scale conflicts were managed in the medieval city – both between authorities and neighbours and between neighbours and their peers – and identifies the social and legal mechanisms which governed these interactions. It builds on previous scholarship on medieval legal systems and conflict (Blanshei, Milani, Vallerani, Lantschner, et al.) but focuses on administrative and social aspects of non- violent conflicts. The thesis follows the surveillance efforts of communal officials, how they were met by inhabitants, and how the communal surveillance apparatus built around the gaze was utilised by neighbours against each other in local conflicts. Cooperation, resistance, and solidarities are therefore recurring themes. The thesis offers qualitative and quantitative analyses of the records from the Bolognese fango office as well as urban legislation in the form of statutes and in response to petitions recorded in the registers of provvisioni from Pistoia. The picture that emerges from this study is that of a highly complex, dynamic, and intricate system of managing, resolving, or escalating small-scale conflicts. It shows the importance of social and political connections to navigating through the legal and social system that governed the medieval commune. The final chapter of this thesis also draws some parallels between the principles demonstrated in the material from Bologna and that of Pistoia as well as other Italian communes.