130 LaCitadeSancta
provided the grassroots political organization. They formed the units of the
militia. The ‘‘Societies of Arms’’ were in origin temporary and probably
evolved to provide police services. Evidence from the late communal period
shows that similar associations existed not only at Cremona but also at Flor-
ence, Mantua, Brescia, and Biella.^195 In those cities, unfortunately, evidence
on these neighborhood societies dates after 1300 , after the societies had be-
come permanent, mandatory organizations, closely controlled by a central-
ized city administration.^196
Bolognese records show the societies in their earlier incarnation and to
some extent reveal their original organization and life.^197 Although every
Popolo was unique, the Bologna corporations seem typical. When founded,
the societies of the Bolognese Popolo found their forms of organization ready
to hand. The rhetorician Boncompagno of Signa, probably during his first
year of teaching at Bologna ( 1194 ), drafted a set of model statutes for asocieta`
and included it in his famousCedrus.^198 He noted that these societies were
multiplying in Italy, and characterized them as private and usually religious
in character—like the earlier penitent associations. That early quasi-religious
groups might form a part of government is not wholly surprising. Later reli-
gious associations also received such roles. At Bologna, again, the flagellant
confraternities became equals of the Armi and the Arti and came to be
incorporated into the Popolo.^199 Unfortunately, none of the Bologna statutes
show us a society in formation. We can, however, observe citizens in midcen-
tury using Boncompagno’s forms to organize themselves, as members of the
Popolo corporations had in the generation before. On 20 September 1258 ,a
group of forty-four Bolognese, including the priest of San Cristoforo in Porta
Saragossa, created the Societa`di Sant’Eustachio.^200 It was a corporation to
manage some vineyards outside the city walls.^201 The group approved and
- Florence Stat.i( 1322 – 25 ), 5. 83 – 113 , pp. 292 – 312 ; Mantua Stat. ( 1303 ), 1. 64 , 2 : 109 – 11 ; Brescia
Stat. ( 1313 ), 2. 148 , cols. 104 – 5 ; ibid. ( 1245 ) 3. 18 ( 78 ). - As in Lucca Stat. ( 1308 ), 3. 29 , pp. 152 – 53 , and 3. 142 – 48 , pp. 234 – 40 ; Pisa Stat.i( 1286 ), Popolo
102 , pp. 632 – 35. Archbishop Federico Visconti mentioned the Fraternitas Sancte Lucie de Ricucchio in
his famous sermon describing Saint Francis of Assisi as a merchant:Les sermons et la visite pastorale de Federico
Visconti archeveˆque di Pise ( 1253 – 1277 ),ed. Nicole Be ́riou (Rome: E ́cole Franc ̧aise de Rome, 2001 ), Sermo - 12 ,p. 778 – 79.
- On thesocieta`at Bologna, see Gina Fasoli, ‘‘Le compagnie delle armi a Bologna,’’L’Archiginnasio
28 ( 1933 ): 158 – 83 , 323 – 40 , and ead., ‘‘Le compagnie delle arti a Bologna fino al principio del secoloxv,’’
L’Archiginnasio 30 ( 1935 ): 237 – 80. See also Epstein,Wage Labor, 82 – 83 , on the composition of the Arti
statutes. - Boncompagno of Signa,Cedrus, Briefsteller und Formelbu ̈cher des elften bis vierzehnten Jahrhunderts,ed.
Ludwig Rockinger (Munich, 1863 ; rpt., New York: Franklin, 1961 ), 121 – 26 ; on which, see Meersseman,
Ordo, 1 : 18. - Meersseman,Ordo, 1 : 509 – 10.
- Bologna, Biblioteca dell’Archiginnasio,msGozz. 210 , vol. 8 , fols. 123 r– 152 v,Statuta Anni 1258 et
matricula [Annorum 1258 – 1310 ] Societatis S. Eustachii: 1258 statutes, fols. 123 r– 126 r; matricula, fols. 126 v– 128 r.
For comparison, statutes of a later society with a secular purpose, in this case management of family
property, may be found in Lucca, Biblioteca Statale,ms 333. - Bologna, Biblioteca dell’Archiginnasio,msGozz. 210 , vol. 8 , fol. 124 v(repeated in the later
revision of the statutes: fols. 142 r–v); the financial management is treated in ibid., fols. 123 v– 124 r(repeated:
fols. 141 r–v).