Villelmina Amaxia Viri sui Fredelici. Identification Strategies in Middle Age Piedmontese Rolls

Abstract

Johannes filius Petri: this naming strategy represents one of the main medieval ways of designating people, especially in administrative documents of a fiscal nature. In fact, a person is certainly someone’s daughter or son and a woman is a man’s daughter or wife. Women, in particular, are often not even referred to by a first name but only as wives, daughters and mothers of males. In a 14th Century Turin (Northwestern Italy) judicial roll, alternative strategies have been identified and they not only indicate close family relationship, but also other medieval roles such as amasia. This paper inquiries the indirect denomination of this judicial source and compares the formulas used for men and women.