Governing through exclusion : examples of political exile in late medieval Dalmatian towns

This paper examines various cases of political exile in late medieval Dalmatia within a wider framework – especially regarding the practice of exile in the communes of central and northern Italy. Relocation (relegatio) and confinement (confinatio) functioned as instruments of political control, designed to maintain stability and neutralize perceived threats. Banishment (bannum) represented the most severe form, typically permanent and accompanied by property confiscation and the loss of political rights. The analysis draws on selected cases from the towns of Split, Trogir, Šibenik, and Zadar. By exploring the legal, political, and social dimensions of exile, this study seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of exclusion as a fundamental feature of governance in late medieval Dalmatia [Publisher's text].

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