La formazione delle élites urbane nel Patriarcato di Aquileia (Friuli) alla fine del medioevo (secoli XIII-XV))/ Urban Elites in the Patriarchate of Aquileia at the end of the Middle Ages and their Formation (13th-15th Century)

Frioul region, in the north-east of Italy, in the middle age is a very interesting case-study for the problem discussed in the Conference. Differently of north and central Italy, where developed communal cities republics, Frioul was a large regional area under the rule of un ecclesiastic chief, the Patriarch of Aquileia. Few were the cities and very late was the making of urban elites. In my opinion this situation is due to: 1. the destruction, or the fled, of the roman cities and the need to create new towns 2. the absence of the bishop staying in the cities, or in the towns, around which could grow a political and social leading class. During the XIII century Patriarchs tried to develop towns and boroughs (comunitates) and to increase their elites in order to balance the power of the noble families (castellani) that ruled over castles and country and were the greater part of the Parliament. So many boroughs received the right to rule by their own with a Council and to manage their revenues (dazi). These measures strengthened the urban elites that were increased also by the immigration of people from Italian cities and regions (specially Tuscans and Lombards), which played a decisive role in the economy and in the administration. Many of them became citizens (cives) of the principal towns and held important dignities in the Councils and in the administration. The composition of urban elites was various: there were ancient and recent families of the little nobility (feudatari d’abitanza), merchants and business men, notaries, artisans. In the cities studied – namely Udine, San Daniele, Gemona and Pordenone – grew, during the fourteenth century, the importance and the number of families who were engaged in economic activities related to the municipality: they lent money to the commune and they got contracts to collect customs duties and taxes (dazi). Through participation in these activities, members of the middle class were able to enter in urban elites and in the City Councils. Only in Cividale, due to its particular situation, the dominant group was composed of noble families of milites, who earlier tended to restrict. Great changes took place in the XV century, specially after the Venetian conquer in 1420. Urban elites would become more and more restricted and in many towns the dignities were reserved to members of a narrow number of families. So urban elites changed themselves in civic nobility.