Legal Definitions - virgata regia

Virgata regia is a historical legal term that refers to the specific geographical boundaries immediately surrounding the king's household or palace. Within this defined area, the king's own court, typically presided over by the royal steward, held exclusive legal jurisdiction. This meant that legal matters arising within the virgata regia were handled by the royal court, distinct from the authority of local courts that governed the surrounding lands. It essentially marked a zone of direct royal legal authority.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Imagine a dispute between two royal stablehands who get into a fight over a horse within the palace stables. Because the stables are part of the king's household and thus within the virgata regia, their disagreement would not be heard by the local county court. Instead, it would fall under the jurisdiction of the royal steward's court, demonstrating the special legal authority within the king's immediate domain.

• Consider a commoner accused of stealing bread from a baker's stall located just outside the main gate of the royal castle, but still within the designated perimeter of the king's immediate dwelling. Even though the theft didn't occur *inside* the castle walls, if the baker's stall was within the virgata regia, the case would be tried by the king's steward's court, not the local magistrate. This illustrates how the virgata regia extended beyond the physical buildings to encompass a surrounding zone of royal jurisdiction.

• Picture a traveling merchant who sets up a stall to sell textiles in the bustling market square directly adjacent to the royal palace. He is accused of violating market regulations regarding weights and measures. If this market square was considered part of the virgata regia, the merchant would be subject to the specific rules and legal oversight of the king's household court, rather than the general laws and courts of the town or county. This highlights the distinct legal framework applied within the king's immediate sphere of influence.