Family Power in Southern Italy
The Duchy of Gaeta and its Neighbours, 850–1139

A study of family-based political power in Gaeta, Amalfi and Naples, first published in 1995.

Patricia Skinner (Author)

9780521464796, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 23 February 1995

338 pages, 13 maps
21.6 x 14 x 2.2 cm, 0.48 kg

"In this useful study, replete with an ample bibliography and extensive index, the author convincingly demonstrates that during the tenth century, power in Gaeta remained with the ruling family and that the same group of noble families predominated." Italian Quarterly

This 1995 book explores how political power was exerted and family identity expressed in the context of reconstruction of the noble families of the medieval duchies of Gaeta, Amalfi and Naples. Localised forms of power, and the impact of the Norman conquest on southern Italy, are assessed by means of a remarkable collection of charters preserved in the Codex diplomaticus Cajetanus. The duchy of Gaeta, like its neighbours, was ruled as a private family business. An integral part of its ruling family's power was its monopolisation of parts of the duchy's economy, the use of members of the clan to rule local centres. When the family broke up, the duchy fell to outside predators. The three duchies reacted in different ways to the Normans. Gaeta flourished commercially in the twelfth century, and its unique political response to contacts with the cities of northern Italy (especially Genoa) forms the final part of this study.

Preface
Abbreviations
Maps and figures
Introduction
1. Sources
Part I. From the Beginnings to the Eleventh Century: 2. The origins of dynastic rule
3. The foundations of ducal power in the tenth century
4. Noble families in the tenth century
Part II. A Time of Change: The Eleventh Century and Beyond: 5. From local dukes to Norman kings
6. The emergence of new families
Part III. The Economics of Power: 7. Landowners and exchanges in the Tyrrhenian
8. Local exchange and long-distance contacts: the Norman kingdom and the North
Conclusion
Appendix
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Early history: c 500 to c 1450/1500 [HBLC], European history [HBJD]