infeudazione

Infeudazione, or infeudation, is a historical term referring to the grant of land as a fief to a vassal within a feudal system. Infeudation describes the process by which a lord or sovereign transfers partial ownership of an estate to a vassal in exchange for loyalty and military or other services. The vassal receives a fief, through which he holds the land for a period or for life, while the lord retains ultimate over-lordship and certain rights over the land.

The mechanism of infeudation typically involved a formal act of investiture, in which the lord bestowed the fief upon the vassal and acknowledged the vassal’s duties. The key elements of the feudal bond included homage, fealty, and service, often primarily military, but also counsel, financial dues, or other obligations. Property thus becomes organized into hierarchical layers of tenure, and the vassal’s rights over the land are defined by the terms of the feudal contract.

Subinfeudation is a related practice in which a vassal, upon receiving a fief, grants portions of it to sub-vassals under their own set of obligations. This created complex networks of loyalty and obligation across a territory and helped finance and reinforce feudal power structures. Infeudation varied by region and era, reflecting differences in legal customs, royal authority, and the evolution of property law.

With the consolidation of centralized monarchies and the growth of states, many feudal tenures declined or transformed, leading to new forms of landholding and public administration. Infeudation remains a central concept in the study of medieval land tenure and feudal society.