Guidicati and Seigniories. Comparison of two ways towards power in the Middle Ages

Abstract

In the 13th century the Empire as political institution was in a state of crisis. The Holy Roman German Empire and the Byzantine Empire were reshaped by extensive fragmentation into regional districts with political autonomy, resulting in a more limited influence for both emperors. Here, I have compared two different paths toward local power, the “Seigniory” and the “Giudicati”. The Seigniory of the family “della Torre” over Milan was one of the first in Italy and is a paradigm of acquisition of political autonomy within the Holy Roman German Empire. Conversely, the “Giudicati” were local kingdoms that arose in Sardinia from the decay of the Byzantine Empire. I discuss the ways by which these regional political institutions arose, their recognition by the emperor, the context in which they acted, the relations between city and peasantry, the role of the “people” in awarding the power.