the Police Power in a Small State in the 18th Century: the Records of the Precepts of the Commissario di Massa
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Abstract
The essay analyzes the use of police power in the duchy of Massa in the second half of the 18th century. Thanks to the precious source consisting of three unpublished registers of the commissario, this study focuses on the characteristics and purposes of the precept, establishing a significant analogy with what has been supported by the studies on the French lettres de cachet. In particular, there was a strong demand for intervention with precepts from society itself for the purpose of protecting institutions and family bonds in crisis.
Keywords
- Duchy of Massa
- precept
- police power
- customs regulation
- lettres de cachet
