La 'tecnicizzazione' della giustizia penale: il magistrato degli Otto di guardia e balia nella Toscana medicea del primo Seicento

The Florentine criminal system and especially the structure of the court of Otto di guardia e balia at the first XVIIth century is characterized, against an old historiography, by a sprightly discussion, inside of the Medicean institutions, in order to reorganize the Otto's magistrate, that fluctuates between the braver approaching to the 'rotal' system and the strengthening of technical members of the Otto. After the failure of the first, we can see the introduction of a second secretary in 1629, that will cause a crisis inside of the magistrate and the final decision to restore the office of auditor of Otto, formerly created in the previous century. This office since 1639 will give together with the auditor of Bande advisory opinions for the resolution of criminal actions. The reports made by secretary Zuccoli about the state of criminality and the current charge in the following years enable to assert the real effects of this reform.