Pétitions et suppliques pendant la domination des Visconti et des Sforza au xve siècle : exception, dérogation et formes simplifiées de justice

In 15th century Lombardy, petitions addressed to the dukes of Milan were not spontaneous writings. They were rather elaborated texts ; formulated by experts on writing, petitions were drafted in legal forms, and often written in latin. They also were defective and incomplete texts, which were comple...

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Main Author: Maria Nadia Covini
Format: Article
Language:fra
Published: Centre de Recherches Historiques 2015-11-01
Series:L'Atelier du CRH
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Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/acrh/6548
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author Maria Nadia Covini
author_facet Maria Nadia Covini
author_sort Maria Nadia Covini
collection DOAJ
description In 15th century Lombardy, petitions addressed to the dukes of Milan were not spontaneous writings. They were rather elaborated texts ; formulated by experts on writing, petitions were drafted in legal forms, and often written in latin. They also were defective and incomplete texts, which were completed and transformed in “rescripts” when the prince (or his magistrates) attached his signature and the date. Shaped in a “fictional” sequence of events and motivations, the petitions aimed at obtaining a ducal privilege, that is a benevolent act from the prince. The duke’s propaganda claimed that subjects could easily reach the prince’s authority using either petitions or public audiences ; in turn, the petitioners presented themselves as poor and defenseless, and begged protection from the ducal power. Eventually, these procedures reflect the novelty of post-communal institutions and build a new image of the Prince. The Italian archives preserve a wide range of the many types of concessions that followed a petition: licenses, safe-conducts, privileges, immunities, pardons and graces, summary legal proceedings. The Visconti-Sforza, as other Italian lords, experimented such a new technique of power and adopted a principle of “equity” which allowed them to manipulate and trespass laws and statutes. This article aims to show some examples of these distinctive records and their procedures.
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spelling doaj-art-2d80da3c851e47769e2c361f6168eaad2025-08-20T02:22:04ZfraCentre de Recherches HistoriquesL'Atelier du CRH1760-79142015-11-011310.4000/acrh.6548Pétitions et suppliques pendant la domination des Visconti et des Sforza au xve siècle : exception, dérogation et formes simplifiées de justiceMaria Nadia CoviniIn 15th century Lombardy, petitions addressed to the dukes of Milan were not spontaneous writings. They were rather elaborated texts ; formulated by experts on writing, petitions were drafted in legal forms, and often written in latin. They also were defective and incomplete texts, which were completed and transformed in “rescripts” when the prince (or his magistrates) attached his signature and the date. Shaped in a “fictional” sequence of events and motivations, the petitions aimed at obtaining a ducal privilege, that is a benevolent act from the prince. The duke’s propaganda claimed that subjects could easily reach the prince’s authority using either petitions or public audiences ; in turn, the petitioners presented themselves as poor and defenseless, and begged protection from the ducal power. Eventually, these procedures reflect the novelty of post-communal institutions and build a new image of the Prince. The Italian archives preserve a wide range of the many types of concessions that followed a petition: licenses, safe-conducts, privileges, immunities, pardons and graces, summary legal proceedings. The Visconti-Sforza, as other Italian lords, experimented such a new technique of power and adopted a principle of “equity” which allowed them to manipulate and trespass laws and statutes. This article aims to show some examples of these distinctive records and their procedures.https://journals.openedition.org/acrh/6548political languagespetitionsItalian Renaissance Statesprince’s privileges and authoritysummary legal proceedings
spellingShingle Maria Nadia Covini
Pétitions et suppliques pendant la domination des Visconti et des Sforza au xve siècle : exception, dérogation et formes simplifiées de justice
L'Atelier du CRH
political languages
petitions
Italian Renaissance States
prince’s privileges and authority
summary legal proceedings
title Pétitions et suppliques pendant la domination des Visconti et des Sforza au xve siècle : exception, dérogation et formes simplifiées de justice
title_full Pétitions et suppliques pendant la domination des Visconti et des Sforza au xve siècle : exception, dérogation et formes simplifiées de justice
title_fullStr Pétitions et suppliques pendant la domination des Visconti et des Sforza au xve siècle : exception, dérogation et formes simplifiées de justice
title_full_unstemmed Pétitions et suppliques pendant la domination des Visconti et des Sforza au xve siècle : exception, dérogation et formes simplifiées de justice
title_short Pétitions et suppliques pendant la domination des Visconti et des Sforza au xve siècle : exception, dérogation et formes simplifiées de justice
title_sort petitions et suppliques pendant la domination des visconti et des sforza au xve siecle exception derogation et formes simplifiees de justice
topic political languages
petitions
Italian Renaissance States
prince’s privileges and authority
summary legal proceedings
url https://journals.openedition.org/acrh/6548
work_keys_str_mv AT marianadiacovini petitionsetsuppliquespendantladominationdesviscontietdessforzaauxvesiecleexceptionderogationetformessimplifieesdejustice