Landholding in the Loire valley and the late Carolingian economy (c.840–c.1000)

Small, fragmented farmsteads were the backbone of the late Carolingian economy (c. 840–1000) in the Loire Valley, according to a new study. Unlike large, unified estates held by the elite with royal patronage, these small parcels of land frequently changed hands through grants and leases, fostering agricultural development and economic growth. The research demonstrates that these transactions provided social and material returns for owners, contributing significantly to the dynamism of the period's economy.

Ó Súilleabháin, N. (2023). Landholding in the Loire valley and the late Carolingian economy (c.840–c.1000). Early Medieval Europe, 31(2), 274–296. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/emed.12634