ABSTRACT
Inheritance in the lands of the Loire was fluid and unfixed in the centuries from 1000 to 1200 ad. While not regulated by law, certain customs did dictate the disposition of property in the lands of the Loire. Inheritance provides a marked contrast to Roman and Nordic practice. Even though the aristocrats of this region did not set aside a share of the patrimony for their heirs, they did exhibit care and concern for family members through various inheritance strategies devised to support a wide spectrum of kin. Although complex, diverse, and multifaceted, the inheritance practices of central medieval France provided elites with the flexibility to manage their family resources from generation to generation. Inheritance operated along these lines in the lands of the Loire for over two centuries, suggesting that in spite of a lack of regulation, these practices and strategies well served the aristocrats of the lands of the Loire.
