“To be remedied of any vendetta” : Petitions and the Avoidance of Violence in early modern Parma
The Farnese dukes dominated the province of Parma, north Italy, from the period 1548 to 1731. An important characteristic of their rule was their receptiveness to petitions and supplications from their subjects. Petitions from subjects of varying social positions to absolutist rulers provide a wealt...
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| Publicado no: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/chs, |
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| Autor principal: | |
| Formato: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Idioma: | Anglais |
| Publicado em: |
Crime, Histoire & Sociétés
2013
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| Acesso em linha: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Resumo: | The Farnese dukes dominated the province of Parma, north Italy, from the period 1548 to 1731. An important characteristic of their rule was their receptiveness to petitions and supplications from their subjects. Petitions from subjects of varying social positions to absolutist rulers provide a wealth of information pertaining to the relationships between dukes or princes and the populations they ruled. This article argues that the subjects of the Farnese duchy of Parma relied on the relationships of channels of communication provided by a well-entrenched system of petitions and appeals as a way to relieve themselves of the obligation to resolve quarrels and social conflicts through violence. Importantly, malefactors also seem to have calculated their crimes in accordance with the likelihood of receiving a ducal pardon, tending to threaten rather than wound, or insult rather than attack. The system of petitioning was operated by the Council of Sentencing (Consiglio della Dettatura), a tribunal that developed as an integral part of the Farnese judiciary system. By the waning of the Farnese dynasty, petitioning allowed a broad swath of Farnese subjects to protect their own interests while submitting to the authority of the ducal regime. |
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