Un’insolita uniformazione normativa comunale nel Trecento: lo statuto delle Terre del Vescovado di Siena

In the context of central and northern Italy in the first half of the 14th century, characterized by extreme legal particularism and production of many municipal statutes, the statute of the communities of the “Vescovado” of Siena represents a rare case of ‘participated’ legal uniformity, result of normative power, or potestas statuendi, of the six communities involved, although presumably desired and urged by Bishop Donosdeo Malavolti. The statute of 1324, which has come down to us in a vulgarized version of 1414, presents various peculiarities even in its contents, such as a more toned-down character of the penal legislation compared to the other statutes of the time, probably linked to the intention of the episcopal lordship not to arouse discontent among the population.