Affective networks across the divide: singlewomen, the notarial archive, and social connections in the late medieval Mediterranean

Though previous scholarship has presumed singlewomen in medieval Southern Europe were nearly non-existent and had few means, notarial sources from the late medieval Mediterranean reveal not only that singlewomen were present in the thriving port cities, but also that they created extensive networks among other women and men in order to survive and in some cases to flourish. Some had children out of wedlock, some were formerly enslaved, others traveled long distances and still remembered family members in their places of origin, and many built new communities in their homes. Indeed, it is remarkable that many of these migrant and formerly enslaved women created deep ties to both local and migrant neighbors, and their actions suggest a sense of responsibility to manumit other enslaved peoples and give charity to poor women. We investigate how singlewomen strategically used their final wills and testaments and other notarial documents to sustain, post-mortem, the networks that nurtured the women in their life, both friends and family members. We consider how women bestowed personal goods and financial legacies to maintain and memorialize their relationships and to sustain community, even in their absence.

Automated summary

Previous scholarship has mistakenly assumed that singlewomen were rare and lacked resources in medieval Southern Europe. However, notarial sources from the late medieval Mediterranean reveal that singlewomen not only existed in thriving port cities but also created extensive networks to survive and thrive. These women formed deep ties with both local and migrant neighbors, displaying a sense of responsibility to free other enslaved individuals and provide charity to poor women. By utilizing their final wills and testaments and other notarial documents, singlewomen sustained the networks that supported them in life, preserving their relationships and sustaining community even after their passing.