Chapter Carolingian frontiers: Italy and beyond. An introduction

Abstract

In this short introduction, I will cover two topics. The first is a presentation of the research project on Lothar’s rule in Italy, which is behind the conference. The second is a brief discussion of the way in which the problem of the early medieval frontier has been dealt with in Italian historiography, accompanied by an equally brief focus on the concept of frontier, which has been further developed by historians over the last thirty years, starting with the work of Charles Whittaker.