The Emergence of Italian City Communes in the Twelfth Century
Using Milan, Pisa, and Rome as his focus, Oxford medieval historian Wickham (The Inheritance of Rome) explores the evolution and role of non-monarchal consuls, or “urban rulers,” and the elite families that exerted judicial and economic control, sometimes to the detriment of the long-established aristocracy. Far from being intentional, the rise of autonomous city-states throughout Italy inadvertently created the consul-ruled commune governments that followed the collapse of the Kingdom of Italy in the mid-12th century, paving the way for more flexible class structures and widespread innovation that led to the Italian Renaissance. While the three primary cities shared a similar governing system and elevated certain able families to leadership, bureaucratic adjustments, such as the differing number of consuls in each city, allowed for each to develop a nimble and unique government. Ideal for readers familiar with medieval history, Wickham’s expert analysis and meticulous academic approach build on previous, limited examinations and substantial documentation to turn established research on its head, as he presents a fresh look into how communes in the mid-12th century successfully prepared Italian power structures for the cultural significance they would later have. It is a well-written monograph, but it is best for those really interested in the era and Italian government. Maps. (Feb.)