I giudici al servizio della corte imperiale nell’Italia delle città (secolo XII)

The article summarizes the research undertaken for my PhD thesis, currently being prepared for publication. More specifically, it attempts to show how the resulting findings can offer a valid contribution to international historiographical debate, with a particular focus on the Italian and German contexts. The research covers various issues: firstly, the participation of Italian iudices in the „Konsensuale Herrschaft“ at the Hohenstaufen court and – from a broader perspective – their contribution to the „Staatlichkeit“ of the medieval Empire. Secondly, their role within the political space of the Italian cities during the phase in which communal institutions originated and developed. Finally, it tackles aspects related to the evolution of legal culture in the context of the European development of Ius commune. Taking into consideration the currently most debated scholarly achievements in the respective fields, it is shown that the presence of Italian iudices at the service of the Hohenstaufen Empire is a transversal historiographical phenomenon that offers multiple avenues of investigation.