Archives and Social Change in Italy, c.900–1100
Marios Costambeys
Chris Wickham’s chapter on ‘Land disputes and their social framework in Lombard- Carolingian Italy’ set the tone for a generation of scholarship, revealing, like other chapters same book, utility dispute records writing history early medieval Europe. Societal changes are nowhere more obvious than to which they give rise. It is no accident, therefore, that documents generated by law courts have been central historiography concerned with nature sharpness change post-Carolingian West, has also contributed significantly. Increasingly after <italic>c</italic>.800, however, Italian court look become less useful as because come follow very limited number formulaic templates, erased any points cast claims undefended. This argues can still be detected such documents, though through texts patterns preservation. shows how two cases—the abbey Monte Amiata ecclesiastical institutions Piacenza—the shape archives mirrors related crystallization local power into hands restricted elite groups focused single families. In doing so it addresses current debate, arising largely out French examples, about appearance reality ‘transformation’ Western society around year 1000.
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