Northern and central Italian cities went through substantial political changes in the century af-ter 1050, above all with the development of city communes. Also, some cities in the region were beginning already to develop commercially, particularly the ports of Genoa and Pisa, and one or two cities in the Po plain, particularly Piacenza and Milan. This article argues that these two developments were largely unrelated, using the case studies of Genoa and Piacenza. If they are related anywhere, Piacenza is the most likely city, given its close links to Genoa (and to an extent Pisa) and the considerable precocity of the development of its institutions.
Chapter Title
Economic changes and political changes in the cities of northern and central Italy, 1050-1150
Authors
Language
English
DOI
10.36253/979-12-215-1076-8.25
Peer Reviewed
Publication Year
2026
Copyright Information
© 2026 Author(s)
Content License
Metadata License
Book Title
In Search of the High Middle Ages. Change and Continuity in 11th–12th-century Italy
Editors
Alberto Cotza, Giuseppe Petralia
Peer Reviewed
Number of Pages
560
Publication Year
2026
Copyright Information
© 2026 Author(s)
Content License
Metadata License
Publisher Name
Firenze University Press
DOI
10.36253/979-12-215-1076-8
ISBN Print
979-12-215-1075-1
eISBN (pdf)
979-12-215-1076-8
eISBN (xml)
979-12-215-1078-2
Series Title
Reti Medievali E-Book
Series ISSN
2704-6362
Series E-ISSN
2704-6079