Power and Patronage in Early Medieval Italy: Local Society, Italian Politics and the Abbey of Farfa, c.700900 (Cambridge Studies in Medieval Life and Thought: Fourth Series, Series Number 70)

Founded around the beginning of the eighth century in the Sabine hills north of Rome, the abbey of Farfa was for centuries a barometer of social and political change in central Italy. Conventionally, the region's history in the early Middle Ages revolves around the rise of the papacy as a secular political power. But Farfa's avoidance of domination by the pope throughout its early medieval history, despite one pope's involvement in its early establishment, reveals that papal aggrandizement had strict limits. Other parties - local elites, as well as Lombard and then Carolingian rulers - were often more important in structuring power in the region. Many were also patrons of Farfa, and this book reveals how a major ecclesiastical institution operated in early medieval politics, as a conduit for others' interests, and a player in its own right. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 4 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 Illustrations......Page 9 Acknowledgements......Page 10 Note on charter editions......Page 12 Abbreviations......Page 13 Farfa and the politics of monasticism in early medieval Italy......Page 19 Sources: gregory of catino......Page 29 Assessing gregory of catino......Page 33 The production and use of documents in early medieval Italy......Page 37 The role of the scribe in document production......Page 53 Authorial voice in the farfa charters: the arenga......Page 56 Approaches to monastic patronage in early medieval europe......Page 66 The sabina between the lombards, the franks and the papacy......Page 73 The dukes of spoleto......Page 80 Farfa’s landed wealth: patronage by rulers to 789......Page 88 Monasteries and rulership in lombard Italy......Page 104 Local officials, ducal power and ‘public’ property......Page 108 Local officials and ‘public’ action: the actionarius......Page 117 Farfa’s disputes and lombard courts......Page 128 Farfa’s disputes and the advent of carolingian rule......Page 139 Conclusion......Page 149 The backgrounds of the monks......Page 151 Oblates and oblation......Page 156 The abbots of farfa to 781......Page 166 Abbots, ethnicity and monastic community at farfa, 781–898......Page 174 Introduction......Page 182 Landownership and social status......Page 183 Estate structure, land management and charter terminology......Page 202 Family and property......Page 226 Family and kinship: historiography......Page 229 Marriage, women and kinship structure......Page 233 Family property and family identity......Page 237 Introduction......Page 243 The pandoni......Page 244 The hisemundi......Page 250 The hilderici......Page 255 The audolfi......Page 259 Conclusion......Page 263 Introduction......Page 268 Farfa, the lombards and the papacy, c.700–68......Page 271 Farfa, the fall of the lombard kingdom and the advent of the carolingians......Page 291 The papacy and monasticism......Page 299 The lombards, rome and the franks, 768–75......Page 306 Farfa, the duchy of spoleto and the papacy......Page 319 The carolingian–papal pacta and their problems......Page 325 Carolingian privileges for farfa......Page 341 Conclusion......Page 367 1 Primary sources......Page 371 2 Secondary sources......Page 374 Index......Page 393 Cover 1 Half-title 3 Series-title 4 Title 5 Copyright 6 Contents 7 Illustrations 9 Acknowledgements 10 Note on charter editions 12 Abbreviations 13 Chapter 1 Introduction 19 Farfa and the politics of monasticism in early medieval Italy 19 Sources: gregory of catino 29 Assessing gregory of catino 33 The production and use of documents in early medieval Italy 37 The role of the scribe in document production 53 Authorial voice in the farfa charters: the arenga 56 Approaches to monastic patronage in early medieval europe 66 The sabina between the lombards, the franks and the papacy 73 Chapter 2 Patronage and lombard rulers 80 The dukes of spoleto 80 Farfa’s landed wealth: patronage by rulers to 789 88 Monasteries and rulership in lombard Italy 104 Chapter 3 Authority, rulership and the abbey 108 Local officials, ducal power and ‘public’ property 108 Local officials and ‘public’ action: the actionarius 117 Farfa’s disputes and lombard courts 128 Farfa’s disputes and the advent of carolingian rule 139 Conclusion 149 Chapter 4 The monks and abbots of farfa: identities and affiliations 151 The backgrounds of the monks 151 Oblates and oblation 156 The abbots of farfa to 781 166 Abbots, ethnicity and monastic community at farfa, 781–898 174 Chapter 5 Sabine lands and landowners 182 Introduction 182 Landownership and social status 183 Estate structure, land management and charter terminology 202 Family and property 226 Family and kinship: historiography 229 Marriage, women and kinship structure 233 Family property and family identity 237 Chapter 6 Elite families in the sabina 243 Introduction 243 The pandoni 244 The hisemundi 250 The hilderici 255 The audolfi 259 Conclusion 263 Chapter 7 Farfa and Italian politics in the lombard era 268 Introduction 268 Farfa, the lombards and the papacy, c.700–68 271 Chapter 8 Farfa, Italian politics and the carolingians 291 Farfa, the fall of the lombard kingdom and the advent of the carolingians 291 The papacy and monasticism 299 The lombards, rome and the franks, 768–75 306 Farfa, the duchy of spoleto and the papacy 319 The carolingian–papal pacta and their problems 325 Carolingian privileges for farfa 341 Conclusion 367 Bibliography 371 1 Primary sources 371 2 Secondary sources 374 Index 393 Marios Costambeys discusses the nature of political power in early medieval Italy, offering a fresh perspective