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Constitutions of Melfi

September 1, 1231 · Medieval

LawPolitics

Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II promulgated the Constitutions of Melfi, a legal code for the Kingdom of Sicily, on September 1, 1231. Principal drafter Pier della Vigna helped create 253 clauses covering public law, judicial procedure, and feudal/penal law. The code established centralized government, reduced feudal powers, banned trial by ordeal, regulated medicine, and created professional bureaucracy. The constitution served as the foundation of Sicilian law for six centuries.

Key Figures

Frederick II, Holy Roman EmperorPier della Vigna

Locations

Melfi

Topics

sicilymedievallegal codefeudalism

Connected Events — 1 Connection

Established the precedent of written legal codes that Frederick II's legal scholars studied and adapted when creating the Constitutions of Melfi, particularly influencing concepts of centralized royal authority over law and systematic organization of legal principles Code of Ur-Nammu: The Oldest Known Law Code

c. 2100-2050 BCE · Culture · Ancient World

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