This 1995 book explores how political power was exerted and family identity expressed in the context of reconstruction of the noble families of the medieval duchies of Gaeta, Amalfi and Naples. Localised forms of power, and the impact of the Norman conquest on southern Italy, are assessed by means of a remarkable collection of charters preserved in the Codex diplomaticus Cajetanus. The duchy of Gaeta, like its neighbours, was ruled as a private family business. An integral part of its ruling family's power was its monopolisation of parts of the duchy's economy, the use of members of the clan to rule local centres. When the family broke up, the duchy fell to outside predators. The three duchies reacted in different ways to the Normans. Gaeta flourished commercially in the twelfth century, and its unique political response to contacts with the cities of northern Italy (especially Genoa) forms the final part of this study.

"...Skinner has succeeded in creating a detailed picture of life in the region between Rome and Naples....The heart of Skinner's political narrative is her careful and highly successful reconstruction of local families in the manner typical of studies of the north, but unusual in local studies of the south....through a thoughtful consideration of what resources were necessary for town life, as well as grains, tenants, and market crops, Skinner is able to create an image of a relatively robust economy that continued to flourish in the twelfth century." American Historical Review

"...a useful and thought-provoking first book that can be a valuable resource to specialists for information concerning the magnate families of Gaeta from c. 850 to 1139." Journal of Interdisciplinary History

"...an important contribution to the study of early medieval Italy, and [it] forces us to rethink some of our assumptions about the nature of the medieval state. Dr, Skinner's mastery of her source material is impressive...she presents a solid case for the importance of this sort of study." Canadian Journal of History

"Unquestionably, tracking major landowning families can prove illuminating. And Patricia Skinner, a student of Chris Wickham and now a research fellow at University College, London, has done an exceptionally thorough job of this for the Duchy of Gaeta." Barbara Kreutz, Medieval Philosophy

"In this useful study, replete with an ample bibliography and extensive index, the author convincingly demonstrates that during the tenth century, power in Gaeta remained with the ruling family and that the same group of noble families predominated." Italian Quarterly