Families, alliances, clientage and urban space: the case of the late medieval Genoese alberghi (thirteenth-fifteenth centuries)

Within the multifarious context of communal Italy, the Genoese aristocratic alberghi, known thanks to the studies of Edoardo Grendi, Ennio Poleggi and Luciano Grossi Bianchi, and Jacques Heers, stand out as a peculiar example that enables to observe the relationship between aristocracy and urban sp...

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Main Author: Denise Bezzina
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Milano University Press 2023-12-01
Series:Studi di Storia Medioevale e di Diplomatica: Nuova Serie
Subjects:
Online Access:https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/SSMD/article/view/20170
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author Denise Bezzina
author_facet Denise Bezzina
author_sort Denise Bezzina
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description Within the multifarious context of communal Italy, the Genoese aristocratic alberghi, known thanks to the studies of Edoardo Grendi, Ennio Poleggi and Luciano Grossi Bianchi, and Jacques Heers, stand out as a peculiar example that enables to observe the relationship between aristocracy and urban space throughout the late Middle Ages. The Genoese case is peculiar not only because of its originality, already emphasised by past literature, but also in view of the presence of extremely rich documentary sources. In a city characterised by multiple and overlapping territorial divisions (compagne, conestagie, contrate), it is thus possible to follow the evolution of these aristocratic confederacies (involving around 200 families of different sizes) from the early communal period. Grendi had emphasised the ‘demotopographic’ character of the alberghi which express a principle of organisation of the urban space based on a common cognomen. The paper aims at reconsidering the relationship between the power of the late medieval aristocratic alberghi and urban territory by focusing not only on strategies for maintaining control of their residential buildings, but also aspects of social interaction.
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spelling doaj.art-110ad3302f3a454b9eaeee1bb628b1272024-03-03T05:43:05ZengMilano University PressStudi di Storia Medioevale e di Diplomatica: Nuova Serie1124-12682611-318X2023-12-01710.54103/2611-318X/20170Families, alliances, clientage and urban space: the case of the late medieval Genoese alberghi (thirteenth-fifteenth centuries)Denise Bezzina Within the multifarious context of communal Italy, the Genoese aristocratic alberghi, known thanks to the studies of Edoardo Grendi, Ennio Poleggi and Luciano Grossi Bianchi, and Jacques Heers, stand out as a peculiar example that enables to observe the relationship between aristocracy and urban space throughout the late Middle Ages. The Genoese case is peculiar not only because of its originality, already emphasised by past literature, but also in view of the presence of extremely rich documentary sources. In a city characterised by multiple and overlapping territorial divisions (compagne, conestagie, contrate), it is thus possible to follow the evolution of these aristocratic confederacies (involving around 200 families of different sizes) from the early communal period. Grendi had emphasised the ‘demotopographic’ character of the alberghi which express a principle of organisation of the urban space based on a common cognomen. The paper aims at reconsidering the relationship between the power of the late medieval aristocratic alberghi and urban territory by focusing not only on strategies for maintaining control of their residential buildings, but also aspects of social interaction. https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/SSMD/article/view/20170Thirteenth-fifteenth centurieslate Middle AgesGenoaurban historyterritorialityalliances
spellingShingle Denise Bezzina
Families, alliances, clientage and urban space: the case of the late medieval Genoese alberghi (thirteenth-fifteenth centuries)
Studi di Storia Medioevale e di Diplomatica: Nuova Serie
Thirteenth-fifteenth centuries
late Middle Ages
Genoa
urban history
territoriality
alliances
title Families, alliances, clientage and urban space: the case of the late medieval Genoese alberghi (thirteenth-fifteenth centuries)
title_full Families, alliances, clientage and urban space: the case of the late medieval Genoese alberghi (thirteenth-fifteenth centuries)
title_fullStr Families, alliances, clientage and urban space: the case of the late medieval Genoese alberghi (thirteenth-fifteenth centuries)
title_full_unstemmed Families, alliances, clientage and urban space: the case of the late medieval Genoese alberghi (thirteenth-fifteenth centuries)
title_short Families, alliances, clientage and urban space: the case of the late medieval Genoese alberghi (thirteenth-fifteenth centuries)
title_sort families alliances clientage and urban space the case of the late medieval genoese alberghi thirteenth fifteenth centuries
topic Thirteenth-fifteenth centuries
late Middle Ages
Genoa
urban history
territoriality
alliances
url https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/SSMD/article/view/20170
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