Charting Female Property and Patrimonial Rights in Law and Practice Across Western Europe (12th-16th Centuries)

Introduction

From the mid-12th century, all over Europe, laws started to be enacted that hindered women from acquiring and managing wealth, triggering a long process that on the threshold of early modernity led to a dramatic reduction in their economic opportunities. The importance of the issue is undeniable, not only because female agency has been a central theme in gender studies, but also because the effects of these developments are still felt today, yet the underpinnings of these developments are far from clear.

Historical Context

The period which is being taken into consideration coincides with a foundational phase of contemporary Europe which saw profound economic, social, and political transformations, changes in family structures, and complex legal developments.

Research Questions

So why did certain laws begin to be enacted at this precise moment?

1. How is the cutback in female economic rights connected to the late medieval developments?
2. To what extent and how did female economic rights vary from one context to another?

Project Aim

The aim of PatriFem is to provide answers to these crucial questions through an innovative and extensive research covering three regions with extremely diverse characteristics in terms of legal traditions, and socio-economic and political frameworks: Italy, France, and the German-speaking area.

Research Methodology

Research will involve the collection and management of large data sets. It will be carried out in different archives across Europe using two main bodies of sources:

• Statutes (to chart the developments in property and patrimonial rights)
• Private sources (e.g., notarial records, to observe how laws were interpreted or even preempted in practice)

The methodology, which can be adopted for different areas across time, will be instrumental to future research.

Expected Outcomes

The data will enable the development of an interactive digital atlas which will represent an unprecedented attempt at charting a chronological geography of female property and patrimonial rights in law and practice across Europe over the span of five centuries.