Monarchia, città e feudalità nel Mezzogiorno italiano del basso medioevo

Four critical readings analyse some recent books about Southern Italy in the late Middle Ages: especially, the fundamental structures of society and those of the public administration. The study of feudalism, as well as the study of the city and of the monarchy, provide a convincing framework of the mechanisms of public affairs at that period, in an area where the institutional experimentation has original characters and innovative strength. In light of important research and recent discussions, my personal contribution discusses the crucial question of the originality of Italian southern cities compared to those of northern Italy and the rest of medieval Europe.