Le riforme istituzionali e amministrative nell’età di Cosimo III

From a political and institutional perspective, the reign of Cosimo III has long represented a significant case study for historians who, during the 1980s and 1990s, sought to offer a comprehensive reinterpretation of the history of the seventeenth- and eighteenth-century “Ancient Italian States.” However, scholarly debate on the political-institutional interpretation of Cosimo III’s age soon faded with the succession of historiographical “turns” that have characterized early modern studies since the 2000s. More than thirty years later, this essay revisits that interrupted debate, focusing particularly on the theses advanced by Jean-Claude Waquet, Marcello Verga, and Luca Mannori. It also provides an updated overview of recent research on the numerous reforms promoted by Cosimo III. Finally, the essay identifies a new and potentially fruitful line of inquiry for revitalizing discussion: the giusdicenze provinciali – the jurisdictional offices held by Florentine citizens in the Grand Duchy’s subject territories