Studi Veronesi (Dec 2016)
The neighborhood of Beverara in Verona from 1408 to 1433: economic and social aspects
Abstract
The analysis of notarial documents written between 1408 and 1433 and related to the Beverara neighborhood of Verona, along with census records of the same period, has brought to light many unknown aspects of this part of the city: from topography to the characteristics of buildings, from inhabitants’ jobs to their socioeconomic status, from the choices expressed in their testaments to the value of their dowries. The Beverara neighborhood, one of the most densely populated of Verona, in addition to the portion squeezed between those of San Zeno Superiore and San Zeno in Oratorio, also included the San Massimo borough outside the city walls. As for San Zeno Superiore, the style of the buildings were rather modest and without pomp, as reflected also by the jobs of the inhabitants, often immigrants, the majority of whom worked in the textile manufacture. Social progression of a few individuals did not change the average economic situation of the majority that, in the period considered, declined progressively. Inventories, testaments and dowries confirm the modest way of life, which did not allow for a lavish lifestyle. Nevertheless, the busy community found itself unified around the San Procolo parish church and other religious institutions, in favour of which many legacies were left, including the commission of non-negligible works of art.
