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Francesc Eiximenis. Il Dodicesimo Libro del Cristiano; capp. 139-152 e 193-197. Lo statuto della moneta negli scritti di un frate Minore del XIV sec. Analisi introduttiva e traduzione di Paolo Evangelisti
Eiximenis, Francesc
2013
Contributor(s)
Evangelisti, Paolo
Abstract
The status of money, considered as institution of community, is focused by an expert of voluntary poverty: Francesc Eiximenis, a Franciscan friar. The analysis about the nature, character and function of money produces some relevant results, especially from a political viewpoint. Who exercises the sovereignty, the control of the value and circulation of money? Which kinds of relations are established between 'princeps'/ruler, community and money? 'Maiestas', supremacy are prince features, prince characters or are they prerogatives of money that is instituted, created for change and justice in the 'polis'? Which juridical apparatus, which political and institutional form can operate to preserve the peculiar value of money: her stability? These questions touch many aspects of that will become the economic reflexion during the Early modern period and also the dogmatic thought about money, starting from the texts written by Copernic, Bodin and Locke; but it’s clear that money, not conceived as a mere coin, assumes a more important role: it becomes the object by which is possible to think about the same concept of power and sovereignty. Besides this setting of topics, where institutional and political experiences of Italian cities are observed with profound interest, it comes to light another notable matter summarized in one key-question written by the same Friar: ‘How is possible to use money to achieve a large, diffused and communitarian wealth?’ Eiximenis deals all these issues situating them inside the European debate on these topics. Anyway, the Franciscan doesn’t use Latin for this work: he writes in Catalan vernacular. A language that is read and written by people living in the territories of the Crown extended from Valencia to Palermo, from Barcelona to Sardinia, with important settlements at eastern and southern Mediterranean coasts. The arguments discussed in these chapters are also remarkable because they were inserted in the 'Twelfth Book of Christian', a work of civic and political education addressed to the rulers of reigns and cities that were forming one of the most important political and economic entities flourishing in Europe between XIII and XV centuries.
Series
Rei Nummariae Scriptores
Publisher
EUT Edizioni Università di Trieste
Source
Paolo Evangelisti, Francesc Eiximenis, "Francesc Eiximenis. Il Dodicesimo Libro del Cristiano; capp. 139-152 e 193-197. Lo statuto della moneta negli scritti di un frate Minore del XIV sec. Analisi introduttiva e traduzione di Paolo Evangelisti", Trieste, EUT Edizioni Università di Trieste, 2013, pp. 242; ill.
Languages
it