County and nobility in Norman Italy (1130-1189)
This research offers a rounded account of the local ruling elite in mainland Southern Italy during the first dynasty of the Sicilian kingdom. It does so through a chronological, in-breadth exploration of the counts' activities, and an in-depth analysis of both the role the counts played during the development of the kingdom's nobility and government, and the function the county acquired in the establishment of social control on the mainland. This study is supported by an extensive and detailed survey of the vast relevant diplomatic material, both edited and unedited, combined with a comparison of the diverse available narrative sources, both local and external. The study has two central objectives. The first is to suggest the composition of the peninsular nobility and its continuities and discontinuities, by revealing how lordships were reorganised through the appointment and confirmation of counts, the total number of counties after this reorganisation, and the transactions and major events in which the counts were involved throughout the kingdom's Norman period. The second is to interpret how territorial leaderships operated between the upper echelon of the peninsular aristocracy and the other economic and
FernĂĄndez Aceves, Hervin
County and nobility in Norman Italy (1130-1189). This research offers a rounded account of the local ruling elite in mainland Southern Italy during the first dynasty of the Sicilian kingdom. It does so through a chronological, in-breadth exploration of the counts' activities, and an in-depth analysis of both the role the counts played during the development of the kingdom's nobility and government, and the function the county acquired in the establishment of social control on the mainland. This study is supported by an extensive and detailed survey of the vast relevant diplomatic material, both edited and unedited, combined with a comparison of the diverse available narrative sources, both local and external. The study has two central objectives. The first is to suggest the composition of the peninsular nobility and its continuities and discontinuities, by revealing how lordships were reorganised through the appointment and confirmation of counts, the total number of counties after this reorganisation, and the transactions and major events in which the counts were involved throughout the kingdom's Norman period. The second is to interpret how territorial leaderships operated between the upper echelon of the peninsular aristocracy and the other economic and
county nobility norman italy offer round account local ruling elite mainland southern_italy first dynasty sicilian kingdom chronological breadth exploration count activity depth_analysis role count play development kingdom nobility government function county acquire establishment social_control mainland study support extensive detailed_survey vast relevant diplomatic material edit unedited combine comparison diverse available narrative_source local external study central objective first suggest composition peninsular nobility continuity_discontinuity reveal lordship reorganise appointment confirmation count total number county reorganisation transaction major_event count involve throughout kingdom norman period second interpret territorial leadership operate upper peninsular aristocracy economic