I cavalli del Comune

: l’assignatio equorum a Perugia nella seconda metà del XIII secolo, tra gestione amministrativa e mascalcia

Abstract

This dissertation aims to investigate, through an interdisciplinary approach that combines written documents, literary works, and visual evidence, the role of horses in the society of Communal Italy, specifically focusing on Perugia in the second half of the 13th century. The research draws from a wide range of registers produced by the Commune of Perugia's chancery, with the core primary sources being the so-called «assignatio» registers, census lists of horses used for communal tasks and necessities. These documents offer fresh insights into the daily functioning of an understudied administrative system, called Impositio Equorum, which is only partially described in the city's Statutes and for which little evidence survives today.

The aim of this study is to understand and re-frame animals that have existed historically, instead of “culturally mediated” ones, which have dominated historiography to date, and are rather symbols and man-made products within human culture. In the complex socio-political landscape of a 13th century Commune, the horse emerges as a multi-dimensional figure, serving various roles: military mount, means of transport and communication, labour resource, economic asset, and a powerful symbol of status and representation.

This research clarifies and enriches our understanding of the horse's significance in late medieval society. It not only reinterprets familiar aspects with greater clarity but also opens new and unexpected avenues of inquiry, such as that of the hippiatric-veterinary dimension. In this regard, the multifaceted figures of the marescalchi (equine veterinarians), particularly within the unique institutional framework provided by the Commune of Perugia, shed light on a profession of considerable cultural importance, yet one that remains largely understudied today.

Ultimately, this study confirms the socio-cultural significance of horses, their indirect yet pivotal role in stimulating scientific and cultural production, and their profound agency in human events – an influence that it is finally time for History to recognize.

Date of Award	2 Jul 2025
Original language	Italian
Awarding Institution	University of St Andrews
Supervisor	Frances Andrews (Supervisor) & Paolo Grillo (Supervisor)