Being an aristocrat in the kingdom of Italy in the age of Lothar I
Résumé
After a preliminary reflection on the notions of “aristocracy” and “elite” and the criteria of their definition, an attempt is made to summarise the aristocratic groups in the period under consideration. It mainly deals with the office aristocracy, whose representatives were increasingly of transalpine origin during the reign of Lothar, especially in the northern part of the kingdom of Italy. Imperial vassals and gastalds are also taken into account. The paths of individuals and families also allow us to make some observations on the social practices of the aristocracy and their more or less successful imitation at lower levels. The “Lothar moment”, conditioned by political hazards, must be considered as a time of closure, or of a takeover of the aristocracy holding offices by the transalpine migrants. This closure, maintaining and even reinforcing the ethnic divide, could only slow down the aristocratisation of the Lombard elite. The monopolising of offices also led to a difference in access for the aristocracy: whereas for the transalpine set, the office or membership of the group of vassals was in some way guaranteed by their very settling in Italy, for the Lombards the criterion of wealth was a prerequisite for passing to the Königsnähe.