This book was born from the idea of reading medieval communal statutes with a focus on water, in particular that of rivers. The analysis is centred on part of Umbria, specifically the region between Perugia and Marsciano enclosed by the Tiber and the Nestóre, a tributary of the former. The course of the Tiber, the extensive possessions of the Abbey of St. Peter of Perugia, and the political dependence of Marsciano on Perugia are three of the traits that confer unity to this territory. The Author has compared the legal status of the Tiber and Nestóre to other significant Italian rivers, such as the Po and Arno, and discussed them considering their main characteristics as they emerge from statutory records: the force of their waters, their destructive powers, embankments, navigability, and allocation of their resources, such as fishing and mills. From the analysis it emerges that big cities such as Perugia used rivers to control and exploit the surrounding territory.

Contents: GIANFRANCO CHIACCHIERONI, Presentazione - PREMESSA
CAPITOLO I - STATUTI: TESTI, AREE E PRESTITI: Alcuni statuti - Prestiti ‘familiari’: Civitella dei Conti e Castel di Piero - Prestiti e « aree statutarie » - Un’« area statutaria » marscianese?
CAPITOLO II - IL TERRITORIO: GRAVITAZIONI E DIPENDENZE: Perugia e il suo contado - I conti di Marsciano nel contado di Perugia –
CAPITOLO III - STATUTI E FIUMI OVVERO TRA TEVERE E NESTÓRE: Un sistema di comunicazioni: le vie .- Un sistema di comunicazioni: i fiumi - Fiumi e statuti .- Fiumi e trattati: Bartolo da Sassoferrato e il suo trattato “Tiberiadis”
TAVOLE - APPENDICE - Mulini - Navi e traghetti - Pesca - Piene - Ponti - FONTI E BIBLIOGRAFIA - INDICE DEI NOMI DI PERSONA E DI LUOGO


ISBN 978-88-7988-931-5