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The X. Century, by William Klapp Williams

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Title: The Communes Of Lombardy From The VI. To The X. Century
An Investigation Of The Causes Which Led To The Development
Of Municipal Unity Among The Lombard Communes.

Author: William Klapp Williams

Release Date: April 26, 2004 [EBook #12162]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY STUDIES

IN

HISTORICAL AND POLITICAL SCIENCE

HERBERT B. ADAMS, Editor

History is past Politics and Politics present History.--_Freeman_

NINTH SERIES

V-VI

The Communes of Lombardy from the VI. to the X. Century

AN INVESTIGATION OF THE CAUSES WHICH LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF
MUNICIPAL UNITY AMONG THE LOMBARD COMMUNES

BY WILLIAM KLAPP WILLIAMS, PH.D.

NEWBERRY LIBRARY, CHICAGO

May, June, 1891

"Est error spretus, quo Langobarda juventus
Errabat, verum loquitur nunc pagina sensum."

RHOTARI: _Legum Prologus_.

THE COMMUNES OF LOMBARDY FROM THE VI. TO THE X. CENTURY.

PART I.

THE LOMBARD CONQUEST AND ITS RESULTS.

Before tracing the beginnings of renewed municipal life in Northern
Italy, we must consider the conditions of land and people, which first
rendered possible and then fostered the spirit of local independence
of which such beginnings were the natural expression. To do this we
must commence our researches with the first domination of the Lombards
in the country.

In detail the story of the conquest of Northern Italy by the Lombards
under Alboin, in 568, hardly differs materially from that of the
inroads of other barbarian tribes of the north on the fertile plains
of Italy. The causes were the same. Where the distinction is to be
found from other such invasions, is in the results of the Lombard
occupation, and in the different methods which the Lombards adopted so
as to render their power and their possessions permanent. Let us look
at the character of this invading host, which sweeps li