Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Nobility, rome'

Under the Constantinian dynasty, the Roman senatorial aristocracy was subject to two major social and political transformations. Firstly, emperors gradually modified the rules for senatorial office-holding, moving away from a hereditary model towards a more flexible system in which rank could be gained through merit (service to the emperor). The number of senatorial posts in the administration was increased, which resulted in the expansion of the senatorial order from outside the hereditary aristocracy. Secondly, Constantine founded Constantinople, where a second senate emerged, prompting the formation of a new eastern senatorial order. Roman senatorial nobles were among the most powerful individuals of the empire. The expansion of their order, the transformation of senatorial office-holding and the foundation of Constantinople did not lead to the reduction of their influence in government. Constantine actively encouraged the involvement of Roman grandees in government as a means of supporting imperial rule, especially in the East. Constantine's son, Constantius II, emperor of the East, continued these policies until 350, when the military and dynastic context forcefully disrupted his relationship with the Roman senate. In this situation, Constantius moved to found a second senate in Constantinople to legitimise his position in the East. Modelled on Rome, the new senate quickly assembled the top echelons of the traditional eastern elite. However, the emergence of this order did not impinge on the authority of the Roman senate, restored to its traditional authority by Constantine. Constantius made it clear that the support of the Roman nobility remained a vital source of political stability and (above all) a necessary means of risk-reduction in the continuing context of the fragility of imperial power.

Les Valerii Messallae appartiennent à une des plus anciennes et prestigieuses familles de Rome, la gens Valeria. L'étude porte sur l'époque tardo-républicaine, jusqu'à la fin de la dynastie julio-Claudienne. C'est une époque essentielle, durant laquelle s'effondre le régime républicain, puis se constitue le Principat. Les Valerii ont contribué à l'émergence d'un régime politique nouveau, auquel ils ont partiellement apporté leur adhésion. La thèse envisage les définitions et les formes nouvelles que prennent les indices de l'appartenance à la nobilitas : carrière politique, culte des ancêtres, évergétisme, fabrique de l'histoire familiale, héritage politique, marqueurs de la richesse et de la supériorité sociale, patronat judiciaire, port des cognomina héroïques et ethniques, privilèges juridiques .... Il s'agit d'identifier les permanences et les ruptures dans la définition d'une triple identité (patricienne, nobiliaire et gentilice) des Messallae et comprendre comment ils ont justifié leur supériorité en remodelant leur passé et en réinventant l'histoire de leurs ancêtres
The Valerii Messallae belong to one of the oldest and most prestigious families of Rome, the gens Valeria. The study focuses on the late-Republican era to the Julio-Claudian dynasty. This is a critical time in which the republican regime collapses and where the Principate is being formed. The thesis focuses on the definitions and new forms that take the indices belonging to the nobilitas : political career, ancestor worship, family history, political legacy, markers of wealth and social superiority, cognomina, legal privileges ... It aims to identify the permanence and ruptures in the definition of a triple identity (patrician, noble and family) of Messallae and how they justified their superiority by reshaping their past and by reinventing the history of their ancestors

Cette thèse porte sur les transformations de l’économie et de la société romaines au cours d’un long XVe siècle (1398-1527). La croissance économique de Rome est provoquée et entretenue par le retour de la papauté après la parenthèse du Schisme. À partir du milieu du XVe siècle, les rythmes de l’économie romaine s’accélèrent : l’afflux de capitaux provenant des marchands-banquiers toscans, mais aussi réinvestis de l’économie rurale dans l’économie urbaine, créent de nouvelles conditions de production et de nouveaux modes de consommation. La réactivation du statut de capitale s’accompagne d’une demande croissante, en particulier en produits de luxe. L’enjeu de cette recherche est de comprendre et d’analyser comment la société romaine, les familles et les individus qui la composent, se sont adaptés à cette nouvelle conjoncture, parfois encore incertaine. Plus largement, il s’agit d’étudier l’adaptation des comportements et des pratiques socio-économiques à la croissance démographique et économique. Les thématiques abordées couvrent un spectre très large, depuis l’économie rurale du casale jusqu’au marché immobilier, du cadre macro-économique à travers l’approvisionnement urbain et les importations jusqu’à la micro-histoire des artisans, bouchers, poissonniers. L’un des axes de la thèse porte sur les phénomènes de mobilité sociale qui affectent aussi bien les milieux populaires que la noblesse citadine. Enfin, cette thèse replace Rome dans un contexte plus large, celui des villes d’Italie, soulignant ses spécificités ou sa conformité avec les modèles d’Italie septentrionale ou méridionale
This PhD aims at improving our understanding of the deep transformations that affect both Roman economy and society during the 15th century (1398-1527). The economic revival displayed by the Quattrocento’s Rome turns out to be sustained and increased by the return of the papal Court in Rome by the end of the 14th century. From the second half of the 15th century indeed, Roman economy’s pace changes, financial resources are flooding from the country to the city also as from Tuscan merchant-bankers, creating new conditions of production and new patterns of consumption. The renewed status of capital city leads to an ever-increasing demand, especially in luxury products. What’s at stake is to analyse and enlighten how the Roman society managed to adapt itself and to respond to a changing situation and to an impressive demographic and economic growth. The six chapters of this book cover a wide scale, from the rural economy of the casale up to the real estate market ; from the macroeconomic frame through the question of urban supply and imports up to the microstoria of craftsmen, butchers, fishmongers. This PhD also deals with the process of social mobility which concern the urban nobility as well as the craftsmen. Finally, this research replaces Rome in the wider context of the Italian urban world, by trying to underline its specificities or its conformity to the models of northern and southern Italy

L'objet de cette étude est M. Fulvius Nobilior. En tant que leader politique et militaire, il a considérablement influencé le sort de la res publica Romana pendant les premières décennies du 2ème siècle avant J-C. , mais sans prendre position au premier plan parmi d'autres contemporains plus célèbres. La postérité se souvient particulièrement bien de Nobilior comme patron du poète Ennius, ainsi que pour de nombreuses autres activités culturelles qu’il a initiées et promues. Prenant Nobilior à titre d'exemple, cette étude se penche sur la façon dont les domaines de la politique et les arts se sont conditionnés et influencés les uns des autres à l’époque medio-républicaine. La première partie de l'étude examine en détail le personnage historique de M. Fulvius Nobilior et son res gestae comme magistrat et membre de la classe dirigeante Romaine. La deuxième partie est consacrée à l'activité culturelle que Nobilior a affichée et qui est analysée, avec une attention particulière quant à ses actions politiques
The focus of this study is on M. Fulvius Nobilior. As a politician and military leader, he substantially influenced the fate of the res publica Romana during the first decades of the 2nd century BC. However, he did so without reaching such a prominent position as other, more famous, contemporaries of his. Posterity remembers Nobilior particularly well as a patron for the poet Ennius, as well as for numerous other cultural activities which he initiated and promoted. Taking Nobilior as an example, this study looks into how the realms of politics and the arts conditioned and influenced each other at the time of the Middle Republic. The first part of the study examines in detail the historic persona of M. Fulvius Nobilior and his res gestae as magistrate and member of the Roman aristocracy. The second part is devoted to the extensive cultural activity which Nobilior displayed and which is analyzed with particular regard to his political actions

The aim of this dissertation is to explore the contribution made by the nobility, both Gallo-Roman and Frankish, to the creation of a new society after the collapse of imperial authority in the west, Gallo-Frankish society. The first chapter of this dissertation is a review of the sources, both ancient and modern, used in the research undertaken for this dissertation. It is important to realise that, while not as numerous as those of other periods, sufficient ancient material survives to make a study such as this valid. Modern issues and debates will be highlighted, including an indication of what led me to this particular thesis. The second chapter outlines the history of Gaul and the barbarians to the middle of the fifth century. It then looks at the institutions that were the backbone of Gallo-Roman society. The third chapter explores the lives of a number of individuals who lived in Gaul during the late third and fourth centuries. They exemplify the challenges that faced the nobility and the ways they found of facing them. Chapter four introduces the Franks as the successors to imperial rule in Gaul. A narrative history is followed by a study of the institutions that they made use of in establishing their power. Chapter five narrows the focus still further and looks at the role that the monarchy and the nobility had to play in the creation of Gallo-Frankish society. It will look at specific examples in order to demonstrate the vital role that the fusion taking place between Gallo-Romans and Franks played in this process. The final chapter, chapter six reaches the conclusion that Gallo-Frankish society was based on an amalgamation of Gallo-Romans and Franks, an amalgamation that was remarkably peaceful, given the events of the period.

British aristocratic women exerted political influence and power during the century beginning with the accession of George III. They expressed their political power through the four roles of social patron, patronage distributor, political advisor, and political patron/electioneer. British aristocratic women were able, trained, and expected to play these roles. Politics could not have existed without these women. The source of their political influence was the close interconnection of politics and society. In this small, inter-connected society, women could and did influence politics. Political decisions, especially for the Whigs, were not made in the halls of government with which we are so familiar, but in the halls of the homes of the social/political elite. However, this close interconnection can make women's political influence difficult to assess and understand for our twentieth century experience. Sources for this thesis are readily available. Contemporary, primary sources are abundant. This was the age of letter and diary writing. There is, however, a dearth of modern works concerning the political activities of aristocratic women. Most modern works rarely mention women. Other problems with sources include the inappropriate feminization of the time period and the filtering of this period through modern, not contemporary, points of view. Separate spheres is the most common and most inappropriate feminist issue raised by historians. This doctrine is not valid for aristocratic women of this time. The material I present in this thesis is not new. The sources, both contemporary and modern, have been available to historians for some time. By changing our rigid definition of politics by enlarging it to include the broader areas of political activities such as social patron, patronage distributor, political advisor, and political/electioneer, we can see British aristocratic women in a new light, revealing political power and influence.

Au début du XVIe siècle la ville de Montpellier était encore médiévale. Les murailles, "commune clôture", étaient le symbole de son pouvoir, de sa justice; mais elles étaient aussi l'objet de lourdes charges financières.Dans cette ville de Montpellier différents groupes se côtoyaient. Les uns, la noblesse ancienne et rurale, avaient perdu de l'influence au sein du consulat. Les autres, les petits nobles de robe, issus de la bourgeoisie marchande, progressaient. Ils connurent un fort essor avec la création de la cour des Aides, en 1467, et avec la création de la chambre des Comptes, en 1523. Ils accaparèrent les charges de premier consul, rachetèrent les droits de justice au clergé, aux seigneurs locaux, et finalement, dirigèrent la ville
At the begining of the 16th century, the town was still medieval, the walls, "common fences", were the symbol of its power, of its justice, but they were also the object of heavy financial charges.In the town of Montpellier, different groups were mixing. Some of them, old rural nobility, had lost influence in the consulship. The others, small nobility from the petty merchant vourgeoisie, were increasing. The knew a strong rise with the creation of the court of Aides in 1467 and with the creation of the house of Accounts in 1523. They withheld the charges of first consul, bought the right of justice from the clergy and the local lords, and finally ruled the town

La période clé de notre étude semble être la décennie des années 1660. La monarchie française cherche à connaître et à maîtriser sa noblesse. Si le roi accorde à la noblesse de robe une noblesse graduelle dès 1644, donnant d’une main la noblesse au bout de vingt ans d’exercice d’une charge (ou mort revêtu), dans le même temps, de l’autre main, il fait casser les Lettres de vétérances et les Lettres d’anoblissement octroyées lors des années 1614 à 1664. Dès 1666, afin de dresser un catalogue général de la noblesse, Louis XIV lance les fameuses Enquêtes de la noblesse qui auront pour but de passer des preuves orales aux preuves écrites, de figer ainsi les origines de ses serviteurs. Comment les familles de noblesse de robe parisiennes vivent-elles ces changements ? Les familles présentées par Blanchard ont su opérer depuis Charles VI une lente progression dans les sphères du pouvoir. Elles arrivent aux premières places au début du XVIIe siècle en détenant les charges les plus importantes des cours souveraines (Grand Conseil, Chambre des Comptes, Cour des aides, Cour des monnaies, Parlement de Paris et parlements de province). La mise en place de la cour, les nouvelles réglementations remettent en cause les stratégies familiales. Cependant, ces familles, regroupées sous le terme générique de « noblesse de robe » ne sont pas seulement des familles urbaines comme le prouve la liste des seigneuries détenues. Les titres passent en grande partie par la possession de seigneuries, par un capital terrien immobilisé. Cette agrégation ultime au mode de fonctionnement de la « noblesse d’épée », ce mimétisme âprement recherché permet également de diversifier le patrimoine et de ne plus le faire dépendre du négoce ou de la possession d’un office vénal. Cette transformation ne va pas sans peine et s’accompagne de tensions, d’opposition au sein des lignages successifs, voire d’échecs. Un second aspect indissociable se présente : l’héraldique. Prolongement du nom, l’héraldique permet dans une France encore largement illettrée d’imposer sa marque et son prestige. La France est exangue et Louis XIV doit trouver de nouvelles ressources militaires et financières afin de lutter contre les coalitions européennes. Après avoir lancé les Enquêtes de noblesse, Louis XIV, par le biais de d’Hozier, juge d’armes de France et généalogiste du roi, organise le grand recensement de tous les blasons afin de les inscrire dans le droit français et dans la pratique fiscale, tout en soumettant l’autorisation de port à une nouvelle taxe. D’Hozier, afin de créer l’Armorial de France, lance ses commissaires généraux et recueille ainsi de nombreux renseignements permettant de soumettre les impétrants à de nouvelles recherches sur le port illégal des attributs réservés à la noblesse. Dès cet instant, toute noblesse ne dépend que de la volonté royale et doit se plier au service et de la cour et du royaume (service par quart annuel). L’héraldique devient alors un véritable marqueur social. Suivant l’exemple des titres, et voulant fuir toute disgrâce, les partitions des écus fleurissent comme pour mieux rappeler les alliances, ascendances et parentés de chacun. Comment se constituent ses nouvelles armoiries ? Comment se transmettent-elles ou se choisissent-elles au sein des fratries de la noblesse de robe parisienne ? Notre étude permet d’observer comment la robe, composante de la notabilité urbaine, devient la noblesse de robe au XVIIe siècle et s’identifie à la noblesse d’épée ? Quelle est la place des seigneuries et de l’héraldique dans ce processus ? Nous pouvons nous demander quel peut être l’intérêt pour une famille de la noblesse de robe parisienne de posséder une seigneurie, qui peut être est située loin du domicile principal ?
The key period of our study seems to be the decade of the 1660s. The French monarchy seeks to know and master its nobility. If the king grants to the nobility of dress a gradual nobility from 1644, giving with one hand the nobility after twenty years of exercise of a burden (or death coated), at the same time, with the other hand , he broke the Letters of Veterans and Letters of ennoblement granted in the years 1614 to 1664. In 1666, in order to draw up a general catalog of the nobility, Louis XIV launched the famous Investigations of the nobility which will aim to pass from oral evidence to written evidence, to freeze the origins of his servants. How do families of Parisian nobility live these changes? The families presented by Blanchard have operated since Charles VI a slow progress in the spheres of power. They arrive in the first places at the beginning of the seventeenth century by holding the most important offices of the sovereign courts (Grand Council, Chamber of Accounts, Court of Aids, Court of the coins, Parliament of Paris and provincial parliaments). The establishment of the court, the new regulations call into question family strategies. However, these families, grouped under the generic term "nobility of dress" are not only urban families as evidenced by the list of seigneuries held. The titles thus pass by the possession of seigniories, by an immobilized ground capital. This ultimate aggregation in the mode of operation of the "nobility of the sword", this mimicry bitterly sought also allows to diversify the heritage and no longer make it depend on trading or possession of a venal office. This transformation is not without pain and is accompanied by tensions, opposition within successive lineages, even failures. A second inseparable aspect presents itself: heraldry. An extension of the name, heraldry allows in a still largely illiterate France to impose its mark and its prestige. France is exiled and Louis XIV must find new military and financial resources to fight against European coalitions. After launching the investigations of nobility, Louis XIV, through d'Hozier, judge of arms of France and genealogist of the king, organizes the large census of all coats of arms to include them in French law and in practice while subjecting the port authorization to a new tax. D'Hozier, in order to create the Armorial de France, launches his commissioners general and thus receives a lot of information allowing to submit the petitioners to new researches on the illegal port of the attributes reserved to the nobility. From that moment, all nobility depend only on the royal will and must bow to the service and the court and the kingdom (service per quarter yearly). Heraldry becomes a social marker. Following the example of the titles, and wanting to escape all disgrace, the partitions of the ecus bloom as to better recall the alliances, ancestries and relatives of each. How are his new coats of arms? How are they transmitted or are they chosen within the fraternities of the Parisian nobility of dress? Our study shows how the dress, a component of urban notability, becomes the nobility of dress in the seventeenth century and identifies with the nobility of the sword? What is the place of lordships and heraldry in this process? We may wonder what may be the interest for a family of the nobility of Parisian dress to own a lordship, which may be located far from the main home?

Ce travail envisage de reconstruire l’histoire d’une famille reconnue comme l’une des plus anciennes et honorables familles de la noblesse de robe parisienne. Ses représentants puisent leur célébrité dans une compétence si éminente dans le monde de la magistrature et dans une fidélité sincère au Roi et à la monarchie. Cette étude prend place dans l’essor qu’ont connu les biographies collectives relatives aux élites françaises depuis une vingtaine d’années. La conjugaison de plusieurs facteurs a donné lieu à une ascension spectaculaire de cette lignée robine durant le XVIIème siècle. D’autres facteurs ont amené à sa faillite au début du siècle suivant. Cette archéologie familiale construite en premier lieu à travers les actes notariés du minutier central des notaires parisiens et les fonds anciens des archives départementales, a également l’intérêt d’examiner la structure et la gestion de la fortune de cette famille ainsi que les représentations de la vie et de l’Au-delà chez certains de ses membres
This work seeks to rebuild the history of a family known as one of the most old and honourable families of the Parisian Nobility of the robe. Its representatives draw their celebrity from an outstanding proficiency in the Judiciary world and sincere faithfulness to the King and Monarchy. This study goes alongside with the increasing rise of French elite collective biographies over the last twenty years. A combination of several factors gave rise to an impressive ascension of this Robe lineage at the XVIIth century. Other factors caused its bankruptcy by the beginning of the following century. This Family archaeology, rebuilt mainly through the deeds of the “Minutier central des notaires parisiens” and the historical collections of departmental archives, examines the structure and management of this family’s wealth as well as the representations of life and afterlife within some of its members

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 1999.
Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 275-300). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users. Address: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/uoregon/fullcit?p9947980.

Au XVIIe siècle, Dijon, capitale de la province, est le lieu où résident les membres des organes politiques, administratifs et financiers. La ville connaît alors un remarquable essor de la construction privée. Les bâtisseurs sont principalement les officiers des cours souveraines, parlementaires ou conseillers à la chambre des comptes, qui satisfont leur besoin de représentation sociale en commandant des demeures dignes de leur rang : l’hôtel est bien l’illustration de ceux qui détiennent le pouvoir, le lieu à la fois d’une démonstration sociale, architecturale et artistique.Cette étude, première synthèse sur les hôtels particuliers dijonnais de 1610 à 1715, est abordée selon trois axes de réflexion : les commanditaires, les architectes et leurs réalisations. L’analyse architecturale des hôtels, qui laisse une large part à la distribution, permet une étude comparative avec Paris et les autres grandes villes parlementaires du royaume
In the seventeenth century, Dijon, capital of the province, was the place where proposed members of the political, administrative and financial bodies chose to live. The city therefore experienced a remarkable boom in the construction of private residences. The builders were mainly officers of the sovereign courts, members of parliament or advisors to the Board of Auditors who wanted to satisfy their need for social representation by ordering houses worthy of their rank : the private mansion was the illustration of people of power, place both a demonstration of social standing, architectural and artistic.This study, the first synthesis of the private mansions of Dijon from 1610 to 1715, is approached according to three lines of thought: the commissioners, the architects and their constructions. The architectural analysis of mansions which leaves a large part to the distribution, allows the comparison with Paris and other major cities of the parliamentary kingdom

Ce travail envisage de reconstruire l’histoire d’une famille reconnue comme l’une des plus anciennes et honorables familles de la noblesse de robe parisienne. Ses représentants puisent leur célébrité dans une compétence si éminente dans le monde de la magistrature et dans une fidélité sincère au Roi et à la monarchie. Cette étude prend place dans l’essor qu’ont connu les biographies collectives relatives aux élites françaises depuis une vingtaine d’années. La conjugaison de plusieurs facteurs a donné lieu à une ascension spectaculaire de cette lignée robine durant le XVIIème siècle. D’autres facteurs ont amené à sa faillite au début du siècle suivant. Cette archéologie familiale construite en premier lieu à travers les actes notariés du minutier central des notaires parisiens et les fonds anciens des archives départementales, a également l’intérêt d’examiner la structure et la gestion de la fortune de cette famille ainsi que les représentations de la vie et de l’Au-delà chez certains de ses membres
This work seeks to rebuild the history of a family known as one of the most old and honourable families of the Parisian Nobility of the robe. Its representatives draw their celebrity from an outstanding proficiency in the Judiciary world and sincere faithfulness to the King and Monarchy. This study goes alongside with the increasing rise of French elite collective biographies over the last twenty years. A combination of several factors gave rise to an impressive ascension of this Robe lineage at the XVIIth century. Other factors caused its bankruptcy by the beginning of the following century. This Family archaeology, rebuilt mainly through the deeds of the “Minutier central des notaires parisiens” and the historical collections of departmental archives, examines the structure and management of this family’s wealth as well as the representations of life and afterlife within some of its members

La tenture de la 'Dame à la licorne' est le plus souvent interprétée comme une allégorie des sens physiques, mais son iconographie se distingue par le registre héraldique. Chaque composition s’organise tel un emblème héraldique de sorte que les personnages principaux remplacent l’écu tant du point de vue visuel que fonctionnel. Si cette tenture est fréquemment citée comme un monument à la réussite socioprofessionnel du commanditaire, on n’a jamais cherché à comprendre comment le registre scénique contribue à la représentation du commanditaire. Autre lacune dans le corpus de littérature, l’importance de la figure féminine dans cette image est restée jusqu’alors ignorée. La présente étude propose donc d’étudier la 'Dame à la licorne' et sa fonction représentative en analysant les traditions culturelles, littéraires et iconographiques, ainsi que les réalités sociohistoriques, qui sous-tendent l’image d’excellence sociale que le commanditaire souhaite rattacher à sa personne et à sa famille
The 'Lady and the Unicorn' tapestries are most often interpreted as an allegory of the physical senses, but their iconography is remarkable for its integration of armorial elements. Each composition is organized like a heraldic emblem, such that the main figures replace the coat-of-arms in its position and its function. Though this work is frequently identified as a monument to the patron’s socio-professional success, no effort has been made to understand how the scenes contribute to his personal representation. The lack of interest for the decidedly female character of this iconographic programme is another weakness in previous studies of these tapestries. This doctoral dissertation proposes to examine the 'Lady and the Unicorn' and its representative function by analysing the cultural, literary and iconographic traditions, as well as the socio-historic realities, that shape the image of social excellence the patron constructs in order to represent himself and his family

Between 14 CE and 235 CE, at least 28 women received the title Augusta. They were all close relatives of the emperor, usually his mother or wife but sometimes his sister, niece, daughter or grandmother. But what did it mean to be an Augusta?' The literary sources provide a chronology of whom received the title and under what circumstances, and yet there is little mention of the title's actual significance. If the title of Augusta conveyed only a slight or apolitical honour, why did Claudius deny the title to Messalina, why did Plotina and Marciana refuse it when it was first offered to them and, even more significantly, why was the title formally removed from Didia Clara after the death of her father? If there was a higher significance to the title, then what was it? This noticeable lack of information in the ancient sources has not been sufficiently questioned or addressed by modern scholarship, and this thesis aims to rectify this matter by examining the history and iconography associated with the women who held the title of Augusta in order to present a case that the title had a singular, specific dynastic purpose as well as a number of associated connotations. My aim with this dissertation is to comprehensively answer the question of the effect that the title Augusta had upon the status of each woman upon whom it was bestowed, and what honour or intention the emperor and the senate wished to convey when they allowed the title to be formally bestowed. In some cases there are contradictions between the way that the title affected the public images of different women, particularly in the early days when the meaning of the title was still being developed, but my focus is primarily upon on the continuities and patterns that emerge from this study. The source material consulted is necessarily varied, and is particularly reliant on the epigraphic, sculptural and numismatic evidence in order to bring a new perspective to the literary evidence.

Bibliography: p. 294-339.
2 v. in 1 (xiv, 339 leaves, xxiv, 174 leaves) : ill. (some col.), plans ; 30 cm.
Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, School of Humanities, 2005

The Diploma thesis aims at lives of the aristocratic women in the 20th century. The focus is placed on their perception of the political events of the period and changes of their role both within family and society. This issue is analyzed with help of the example of three female aristocrats who married into the old Czech family of the Sternbergs, more specifically, three ladies belonging to three different generations Karolína Sternberg, b. Thurn-Valsassina-Como-Vercelli (1863-1944), Kunhuta Sternberg, b. Mensdorff-Pouilly (1899-1989), and Alžběta Sternberg, b. Hrubá z Gelenj (*1929). The description of their lifetimes follows after the more theoretical part dealing in general with the position of women in the 20th century as well as with a brief history of the Sternberg family. The environment in which the ladies grew up is taken into account, too. Apart from the private written documents, the thesis is also based on some interviews with several living members of the family. The concluding part comprises a comparison of the ladies´ lives towards each other and towards the non-aristocratic society.

Gli archivi notarili, in molti casi, rappresentano per i comuni dei territori già facenti parte dello Stato Pontificio un prezioso scrigno di memoria storica perché sono gli unici che, nella generale disomogeneità dell’amministrazione papale, hanno effettivamente avuto un’unità di gestione e una generalizzata conservazione. L’unico grosso limite è quello di essere costituiti da documentazione che rimonta, nella quasi totalità dei casi, solo alla prima metà del XVI secolo. L’eccezionalità, quindi, è data sicuramente da tutti quei casi in cui, come Monterotondo, si può avere una finestra aperta sul XV secolo e ancor più sul XIV secolo grazie alla sporadica conservazione di registri o singoli documenti confluiti a vario titolo nelle moderne concentrazioni archivistiche. Al centro dello straordinario particolarismo amministrativo dello Stato pontificio d’età moderna trovava posto la figura del barone che, erede della feudalità di origine medievale, con funzioni di giusdicente rappresentava quasi ovunque l’unica e più diretta forma di esercizio politico e giudiziario nelle comunità locali. Del resto il ceto baronale era lo stesso che, in via diretta o indiretta, amministrava la cosa pubblica a Roma, potendo vantare numerosi rappresentanti sia nel Sacro Collegio sia nel Senato Capitolino. Periferia e centro si intrecciano così in un reticolo di eventi e di relazioni la cui trama può essere chiarita anche grazie a queste fonti archivistiche locali, le quali, benché siano state riconosciute di grande valore storico sin dall’Unità d’Italia, tuttora purtroppo continuano ad essere considerate, non solo dal sentire comune, ma spesso anche dalla comunità scientifica, come fonti di secondaria importanza. L’Archivio notarile di Monterotondo rientra tra quei casi che non sono stati al centro di studi nel corso degli anni e che ancora in tempi recenti hanno mostrato di destare interesse solo per il valore giuridico delle carte. La documentazione confluita in quello che oggi viene chiamato Archivio notarile di Monterotondo e che, dagli anni Sessanta del XX secolo, è conservato presso l’Archivio di Stato di Roma, non è solo pertinente all’Archivio notarile del centro eretino, nato in seguito alla riforma di Sisto V del 1588, ma include anche le carte prodotte almeno da altri due uffici, ovvero la Curia baronale e la Comunità, per motivi diversi unite recentemente al fondo notarile. La parte propriamente notarile del fondo è la più cospicua e la meglio conservata, soprattutto per quanto riguarda le serie più antiche e il periodo compreso tra il XVI e il XVII secolo. Per un caso fortuito, inoltre, proprio la realizzazione di questo studio ha permesso di ritrovare e di restaurare uno dei frammenti più antichi di documenti pergamenacei conservati ad oggi presso gli Archivi notarili sistini dell’ASRoma, risalente agli ultimi anni del XIV secolo. Dall’analisi dei documenti l’attività dei notai eretini risulta costante nei secoli, espressione questa di una vivacità favorita da almeno due fattori: la vicinanza a Roma e la conseguente facilità di collegamento con la capitale, che nei secoli ha permesso a Monterotondo di rivestire un ruolo di prim’ordine nell’articolazione della vita economica e sociale dell’area. L’analisi di quel poco che resta della documentazione della Curia baronale – pervenuto inoltre in pessimo stato di conservazione – fa lamentare ancor più la perdita della maggior parte dei documenti. In migliori condizioni, anche se non meno parziale nella consistenza rispetto alla documentazione giudiziaria, è la parte relativa all’Archivio della comunità. In questo caso la documentazione copre soprattutto i secoli XVII-XVIII e sembra riflettere quella fase di vero e proprio boom economico conosciuto da Monterotondo durante la dominazione dei Barberini nel corso del Seicento. In occasione di questo lavoro di ricerca, che ha preso le mosse dallo studio della parte notarile del fondo, tutta la documentazione conservata è stata analiticamente schedata e ordinata, cercando di rendere esplicito il legame tra le carte, vincolo che è alla base di qualsiasi archivio. Pertanto questo inventario rappresenta, oltre che il risultato dell’attività svolta nell’ambito della Scuola di dottorato, anche un nuovo mezzo di corredo per orientare gli utenti nella consultazione dell’archivio.

This diploma thesis [in the master's course], drawn up at the Faculty of Law of Charles University in Prague, deals with the principles of the law of inheritance in Bohemia prior to its codification in 1811. Although inheritance law is one of the oldest branches of law, and was very thoroughly developed in ancient Roman law, in our territory it actually started to develop some more only after the Hussite movement. That is due to the fact that in the Middle Ages, the prevailing concepts were the ruler's right to bona vacantia and family indivisible ownership ["rodinný nedíl" in Czech], both of which did not really make it possible to pass estate from the deceased to their heirs. Therefore the aim of the thesis is to examine and gain a deeper insight into the historical development and historical contexts of the law of inheritance in our territory, which had preceded its modern form that was first codified in Allgemeines bürgerliches Gesetzbuch [the General Civil Code], which accepted the structure of the Inheritance Patent of Joseph II in 1811. Part One of the thesis, Introduction, briefly discusses the law of inheritance as a specific element of legal science, the principles of inheritance law, and inheritance conditions and titles. Part Two, Excursion into History - Inheritance in Roman Law,...