La potestà di polizia in un piccolo principato nel Settecento: i registri dei precetti del commissario di Massa

The essay analyzes the use of police power in the duchy of Massa in the second half of the 18th century. Thanks to the precious source consisting of three unpublished registers of the Commissario, this study focuses on the characteristics and purposes of the precept, establishing a significant analogy with what has been supported by the studies on the French lettres de cachet. In particular, there was a strong demand for intervention with precepts from society itself for the purpose of protecting institutions and family bonds in crisis.