L'ECONOMIA RURALE IN ITALIA SETTENTRIONALE (FINE VIII-INIZIO XI SECOLO)

The purpose of my research consists to describe the rural economy in north Italy during the Middle Age, in particular between VIII and XI centuries. The analyse wants to focus on some aspects of the rural life like the existence of a distribution network that connected a lot of cities with rural monasteries. An another very interessant argument is the study of the large estate (that is the curtis), typical of this period, but also other kind of propriety (little ownership). The social aspects are important too, in particular the rule of serfs in the curtis in relation with the free peasant. All these elements contribute to create a new view about the economy in the period, called “dark age” by the historiography.