Strategie istituzionali e mediazioni notarili nella documentazione dei comuni subalpini. Percorsi di ricerca

Within the context of the studies about the processes that in Northern-central Italy led to the formation of a “communal documentary system” during 12-14th century, this paper suggests an alternative search path directed to an examination of some of the greatest documentary evidences and of their mutual relations. It particularly focuses on the formation of the libri iurium and on the changes brought by the communal institutions in the traditional patterns of notarial documentation. Through the analysis of a document relating to an agreement between Asti and Chieri, two Piedmont communal towns, we'll give a concrete example of this study approach, showing a complex set of problems that can be conceptually distinguished but that appear strictly connected in the thick contexture of the written document.