Annales. Économies, Sociétés, Civilisations - Année 1991 - Volume 46 - Numéro 4 - Pages 789-805Genealogical culture in sixteenth century Italy. The family histories and genealogies which flourished in 16th century Italy allowing practice already common in the Middle Ages and which would attribute remote and illustrious origins to the nobility of the time were not only the work of worthless counterfeiters but also of respectable authors Flattery and self-interest were not the only motives underlying historical writings, which would seem to have been inspired less by specific practical purposes than by idea the continuity of power and of the existence of special relation between the nobility and history, an idea typical of traditional, aristocratic societies 17 pages Source : Persée ; Ministère de la jeunesse, de l’éducation nationale et de la recherche, Direction de l’enseignement supérieur, Sous-direction des bibliothèques et de la documentation.