Bartolus de Saxoferrato

Bartolus de Saxoferrato was an Italian law professor born in 1313 in Venatura, Marche, Italy. He was a leading figure in the school of commentators, also known as postglossators, and made significant contributions to Medieval Roman Law. His admiration was so great that a saying arose: "no one is a good lawyer unless he is a Bartolist." Bartolus studied civil law at the Universities of Perugia and Bologna, earning his doctorate in 1334. He began teaching in Pisa and then Perugia in 1339, significantly elevating the reputation of Perugia's law school. In 1348, he was made an honorary citizen of Perugia, and in 1355, Emperor Charles IV appointed him as his *consiliarius*. Despite his short life, Bartolus authored numerous works, including commentaries on the entire Corpus Juris Civilis and treatises on specific legal subjects, such as the law relating to rivers (*De fluminibus seu Tyberiadis*). He also produced around 400 legal opinions (*consilia*). His work on conflict of laws was particularly innovative, addressing the complexities arising from the distinct statutes and customs of various Italian city-states. He also explored constitutional law and issues of arms and trademarks in his treatise *De insigniis et armis*. Bartolus's political thought balanced respect for the Empire with the recognition of local Italian governments. He is credited by some as the first theorist of international law, defining norms that reinforced the independence and autonomy of city-states while establishing a common discipline under the Empire. He died in Perugia in 1357 at the age of 44.