Palermo e Messina: residenza viceregia e questione dei Tribunali nel dibattito secentesco

The essay deals with the theme of the rivalry between Palermo and Messina for the role of capital city of the Kingdom of Sicily, and proposes a re-reading of the propaganda sources produced by both sides during the seventeenth century, under Philip IV. New interesting elements of reflection emerge on the political role of the viceroy; on the question of the Courts - real centers of power, with strong links to the world of finance and politics - and on the hegemony of the “togated” class; on the characteristics of the function of capital of the kingdom, on the different ways of participating in the Monarchy and of representing oneself