Power in the village during a period of transition : Mediterranean France, 1780-1880

This paper makes use of case-study evidence in order to examine the social reality of the village «notable » in the southern uplands of Mediterranean France. It explores, successively, early nineteenth-century attempts to define and fix «notable » status ; the secondary literature on «notabilité » ; sources of influence ; power-broking in the political arena ; and the occupational evolution of «notables » over time. Whilst the biological continuities of elite mediation in this region have by no means lapsed, the paper argues that land owning is no longer a sufficient denominator of «notable » status on its own.Jones Peter M. Power in the village during a period of transition : Mediterranean France, 1780-1880. In: Mélanges de l'École française de Rome. Italie et Méditerranée, tome 116, n°2. 2004. La culture scientifique à Rome à l’époque moderne. Pouvoir local et factions (XVe-XIXe siècle). Città e ambiente. Ospedali e sanità. pp. 593-604