polizia e disordini nelle famiglie a bologna nella prima metà del xix secolo

This paper concerns non-repressive police’s role in resolving the most of conflicts between the spouses in Bologna until the first half of Nineteenth century, when separations were frequent. The struggles especially concerned wives’ efforts to obtain alimony were frequent and concerned people from all walks of life. Police was called upon to settle disputes even by the Archbishop who would have been entitled to jurisdiction over matrimonial trials because police could make better efforts in threatening precetti to those who did not want to interrupt an adulterous relationship or continued to treat brutally his wife and children. Only if the precettati obligation to change their lifestyle was not respected, then the wife or the husband could be put behind bars. The almost conciliatory attitude of the police indulged expectations of a changing society in which the needs of individuals began to prevail over those of the group of relatives: Even unwed mothers tried to oppose the loss of illegitimacy children but in this cases people was still very jealous of "honor" and very often the police tore children from their mothers' arms.