Abstract

The issue of slavery within the borders of the Papal States in the modern era has been the subject of numerous studies. These studies have revealed the presence of a minority of Muslim slaves who, while maintaining their religious identity of origin, are perfectly integrated into the complex social and economic reality. It is well known that Muslims were exploited as a labor force within the papal galleys or even as domestic slaves at some prelate or noble class families. The study of institutional phenomenon, however, is missing. There are many questions that can be drawn about: how was it regulated the lives of Muslims within the borders of the Papal States? Which courts had jurisdiction over them and in what way the exercising? This paper aims to relate the first results of a research on the sources of law produced by the various central and local authorities of the Papal States, regarding the regulation of a small part of the population, however extremely significant in symbolic and theological level.