Neither Disobedients Nor Rebels: Lawful Resistance in Early Modern Italy

It is a widely known fact that during the conflict between the American Colonies and Great Britain, which resulted in independence and the birth of the United States of America, the insurgents presented their collective actions as lawful forms of resistance and defense against an unjust government in the motherland, which threatened their freedoms. They therefore did not consider themselves either disobedient or rebels. These views and these claims had, moreover, characterized early modern European history for centuries, on the basis of a shared politico-juridical culture. This volume analyzes some Italian urban rebellions that occurred in the 16th and 17th centuries (Urbino, Messina, Mondovi, Castiglione dello Stiviere) from this perspective, emphasizing the resemblances with the Catalan (1640) and Neapolitan (1647) revolts. Fundamental problems emerge from all the cases under consideration: the borderline between loyalty and obedience, between unconditional and conditional obedience, the issue of sovereignty and its limits.