a Domini Regis" at Siena,
in opposition to the local bishop and gastald; and in the second[26]
we find the royal notary Gunthram forbidding a fresh examination of
witnesses "in Curte Regia Senensis." In a document of the next
year[27]--716--we find "Ebugansus, Notarius regiae Curtis," taking
part in the procedure in a case between the bishops of Pistoia and
Lucca; and a little later, in the year 756, is mention of an exchange
of property between "civitis regia lucencis" and the church situated
in that city.[28] In the "Opusculum de Fundat. Monast. Nonantulae,"
published by Muratori,[29] we find a donation by King Aistulf to that
monastery: "prope castellum Aginulfi, quod pertinet de curte nostra
lucense, et duas casas masaritias de ipsa curte"; and "granum ilium,
quod annue colligitur de portatico, in Curte nostra, quae sita est in
Civitate Nova."[30] In Carlovingian times Charles the Bald, in the
year 875, in the "Chronica Farfense,"[31] appears as saying, "in Curte
nostra infra Castrum Viterbense": elsewhere "curtis regie Viturbensis"
is spoken of[32]: and later, in 899, Berenger gives to the bishop of
Florence "terram ... pertinentem de curte Regis istae Florentiae"[33]:
and finally, not to multiply examples, I will mention a privilege of
Karloman's, published by Ughelli[34], by which he gives to the bishop
of Parma certain regalia: "id est curtem regiam extructam infra
civitatem Parmam cum omne officio suo," etc. From even these few
instances we can see the connection between the _Curtis Regia_ and the
city which gave its name to the _civitas_, a connection the importance
of which we must not fail to appreciate, in consideration of the great
influence which it exercised in the future development of the
municipal unit from a beginning so insignificant.

Of some importance in connection with the early history of the cities
are the questions which arise in relation to the fiscal duties and
privileges of the _curtes regia_ and its officers. In it was centered
the fiscal administration of the kingdom; and its officers, in the
various grades from the _dux_ downward, received and were responsible
for the revenues of the state. So prominent a part belonged to this
form of the functions of the _curtes_ that it is quite common to hear
the revenues themselves, by a transposition of terms, called by that
name, or by that of _palatium_, a word sometimes found even for the
_curtes regia_ in their proper general sense; but this, f