Nobiltà, giurisdizioni signorili, parlamenti. La monarchia moderata nell’Esprit des lois

Critical studies dedicated to Montesquieu’s thought have paid considerable attention to the English constitutional system. On the contrary, the French monarchy described in the initial books of the Esprit des lois (1748) has been scarcely examined and institutions that Montesquieu deemed essential, i.e. the “intermediate powers”, have been overlooked. In this paper, I intend to investigate Montesquieu’s political thought on the monarchy. I will focus in particular on those institutions considered fundamental to limit sovereign’s power: the nobility, the “justice des seigneurs”, and “parlements”.