Abstract

This essay starts from a reformulation of the relationship between cultural framings of political actions and the nature of institutions beginning with the studies of Giovanni Tabacco, in particular, the concept of allodiality of power, the incorporation of power into things, clearly identified in the royal dispositions of the 10th century. An attempt is made to examine how the public nature of the things and rights granted to cities, their inhabitants and their bishops, does eventually provide a material, visible basis of res communes assigned to the civitas, unavailable to private individuals precisely because they belonged to all and for which all were responsible even if with different ownership configurations. This explains also the essentially patrimonial nature of the term common when it becomes a subject in 12th century deeds.