Village Entrepreneurs: The Economic Foundations of Valencian Rural Elites in the Fifteenth Century

During the last decade, rural historians have increasingly studied the wealthier sectors of rural communities. This paper seeks to analyze the economic activities of rural elites, focusing on the Midlands in the kingdom of Valencia during the fifteenth century. The combination of both notarial and court of justice registers provides a perspective on the multiple businesses of those families and offers insights into the general trends of European rural elites in the Middle Ages, as well as specific information about those in Valencia.