Foreword - Richard Hodges Introduction Chapter I - The Pecora river valley and the royal court of Valli Chronological history of research in a plain The Vetricella site and the plain between the 8th and first half of the 10th century Changes between the second half of the 10th and first half of the 11th century Loss of function and abandonment Reconstructing the geographical and economic organization of a royal estate To sum up Chapter II - The Cornia valley and the royal court of Cornino History of an apparently invisible royal court The possible organization of the court, and its subsequent break-up Other public properties: Gualdo del Re and inland areas To sum up Chapter III - The Grosseto Area The formation of the new landscapes (7th-9th century) Between the 10th and 11th centuries Public lands in new (possible) historical scenarios To sum up Chapter IV - The religious centres in the hinterland The royal court and the monastery of San Salvatore al Monte Amiata The royal court and the monastery of S. Antimo in the Starcia valley The Canonical Church of S. Niccolò, Montieri To sum up Chapter V - A world apart? The mining areas Rocchette Pannocchieschi Cugnano Montieri Rocca San Silvestro The island of Elba To sum up Chapter VI - Reconstructing the complexity of the case study: clues to a puzzle The actors involved Landscapes Production and circuits of exchange The timing and rate of change Chapter VII - Comparisons Tuscany The Po Valley area Chapter VIII - The origins of economic growth Preamble An initial acceleration (9th to mid-10th century) The beginning of the rise (second half of the 10th-first half of the 11th century) What economic system The slowdown before a new rise (second half of the 11th-12th century) Bibliography.