Le metamorfosi di Astrea

Overview & Synopsis

For centuries law graduates have based their authority on the lesson of Bartolo da Sassoferrato, specifically Doctoratus est dignitas. How did these professionals react when the political, institutional and social changes in Early Modern times brought new problems? In a time of significant change, how did this profession rise to the challenges that put in crisis their traditional role in society? This book hopes to answer this and other specific questions using social, cultural and anthropological analysis concentrating on Bolognas’ law graduates. Observing the 16th-18th centuries, these lawyers’ education and choices will be investigated following various careers in Bologna, Rome and different European courts. The goal is to identify, with a prosopography method, their numerous choices in the context of the transformation occurring during this long period of time, until the 19th century.