The peasant, the lady and the noble : a study of the acts of notary Brandano de Caxaro,1538-1539

Abstract

This dissertation aims at providing an observation at ground level of the society of Mdina during the early years of the Hospitallers stay on Malta. This study is based on Notary Brandano de Caxaro's manuscript Volume 4 compiled between 1538 and 1539. The first chapter focuses on and discusses the value, use and limits of notarial acts, provides a profile of Notary Brandano de Caxaro and his clientele together with an analysis of the manuscript under review. The second chapter focuses on women, their role in a sixteenth-century society and their voice in running family affairs. It also outlines parent-children relationships, marriage, remarriage and the importance of the dowries. The third chapter discusses the agrarian character of the early modem Maltese economy. It delineates aspects like landownership and leaseholds, trade in cotton and cereals, the place of animal husbandry in the economy and of horticulture and viticulture. The final chapter discusses the role played by the nobility of Mdina as landowners and as participants in economic activities. It also discusses inter-alliances and the aspect of marriage between prominent families. Finally, it also focuses on the dignitaries of the Church and the relationship between the nobility and the Church.