From September 23rd to 27th, 2024, Sarah Limão Papa, PhD candidate at the IberLAND project, attended the 43rd Course of the International School of Ius Commune in Erice, Sicily. This year’s course, titled “Common Good and Common Goods in the Tradition of the ‘Ius Commune’,” brought together leading legal historians and scholars from around the world to explore how concepts of common good and property have evolved within the Western legal tradition (programme available here).
Hosted by the Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture, and directed by Professors Orazio Condorelli (University of Catania), Wim Decock (UC Louvain), and Francesco Treggiari (University of Perugia), the course focused on key issues related to the common good, collective property, and the interplay between private and public goods in both medieval and modern legal thought. The course covered a wide range of subjects, from the influence of theologians on early modern legal thought on property to legal discourses on collective and private property in both medieval and modern contexts.
Sarah Limão Papa, along with colleagues from various institutions, reflected on how these historical legal frameworks resonate with contemporary issues surrounding land tenure and resource management. The comparative approach fostered rich discussions that align with her research focus on colonial Brazil, where European legal categories interacted with local practices concerning land use and natural resources.
