Keywords

• Analysis of the various attitudes held by Universitates civium on the question of the appointments of the officiales chosen for them by the King invites reflection on the reasons prompting these choices. In fact
• some elements
• such as the geographical and social origin of the officiales
• appear decisive. This essay does not follow the established historiographical interpretations based exclusively on the captain's role within the power dialectics between King and University. Based on the documents examined
• the conclusion is drawn that the various types of appeals to the King by the towns are to be related to the towns' political assessment of the possible repercussions in terms of urban spaces of power being occupied by members of the local or the capital's elite (who often belonged to powerful &ndash
• and sometimes inter-town &ndash
• clan-like aggregations) if they were to obtain control over key administrative and jurisdictional offices