Il frate, il popolo, il marchese : Bonvesin da la Riva e la politica milanese

Bonvesin da la Riva’s De magnalibus Mediolani has been regarded by scholars as a source of quantitative data about the economic life of Milan at the end of XIIIth Century. If we analyse it in the context of milanese political struggles, we can see that the De magnalibus is a political text, who attacks the noble supporters of marquis William of Monferrato and prises the People of Milan, defender of traditional civic values and freedom.