Central Functions of a Bishop Town in the Middle Ages

The Case of Brixen

Abstract

Examined is the role of the diocesan town of Brixen in the Middle Ages. The major town in the area, Brixen functioned on several levels: it was the principal economic and market center of the central valley of the Eisack River; a religious center of the Brixen diocese; and the center of the territorial seigneury and of the ecclesiastical principality with estates scattered in Tyrol, Carinthia, Styria, and Carniola.