Paolo GrossiThe author (born in Florence in 1933) is Professor of History of Medieval and Modern Law at the University of Florence, and a member of the Accademia dei Lincei. He has recently been appointed judge in the Constitutional Court of the Italian Republic. His most recent publications include Italian Civil Lawyers: An Historical Profile (2002), Law between Power and the Judicial System (2005), Society, Law, State: A Recovery for Law (2007), The Medieval Judicial System (2008) and First Lesson on Law (2008).

"With that said, it remains a remarkable work written by a master of his craft. It conveys complex ideas effortlessly and picks out interesting themes throughout." (The Edinburgh Law Review, 1 September 2011)

• Preface xPreliminaries xii1 Medieval Roots 1I. A Legal Society Under Construction: The Workshop of Legal Practice 1II. Medieval Maturity: The Laboratory of Learning 192 The Foundations of the Modern Legal System 393 Journeys in Contemporary Law 138Further Reading 163Notes 169Bibliography 178Index 190