Factional conflict and political struggle in southern italian cities and towns

In the second half of the fifteenth century the towns of the Kingdom of Naples show high political tension. The fight for governmental functions emerges among the citizens in urban areas but also outside of them, where groups of exiles aim to coordinate institutional changes. This struggle, which will last until the Spanish conquest, inherit the ancient class rivalry, hidden by the conflict between Angevin and Aragonese for domination in the Kingdom. This vivid context allows real political parties to operate both in the biggest cities and in the smallest communities; their life is guaranteed by the social fabric and the topography of the cities. Through an in-depth analysis of the unpublished documents, the author provides a detailed representation of these political dynamics, in which the monarchy often seems an item exploited by the factions, rather than a control body or a repressive instrument.