Spatial order and city authorities in thirteenth-century Bologna

Taking as its starting point the governance of public space in Roman and post-Roman times, this chapter focuses on the concern of the city authorities in medieval Bologna for the physical environment, particularly the protection of public land. Based on administrative records, it examines the medieval commune’s policy of urban governance, as evidenced by the production and preservation of records in the form of registers, a characteristic feature of the Commune di Popolo’s governance.