How did the Napoleonic period affect feudal privileges in southern Italy?

During the Napoleonic period in southern Italy, the French administration—led by Joseph Bonaparte and subsequently Joachim Murat—fundamentally transformed the region by finally abolishing feudal privileges and immunities.12

While this legislative change was significant, its practical impact on the countryside was nuanced:

• Persistence of Aristocratic Power: Despite the formal abolition of feudalism, the landed aristocracy managed to retain extensive influence and power in rural areas.1
• Bourgeois Gains: Murat’s original intention to distribute small landholdings to peasant families was largely subverted by southern notables, known as galantuomini ("honorable men"). These individuals used their wealth to purchase property confiscated from the church and exiled landowners.1
• Land Recovery: Much of the common land that had been usurped by large landowners was recovered, but the primary beneficiaries of this redistribution were these bourgeois notables rather than the peasantry.1

These reforms were part of a broader modernization effort that included the introduction of a uniform legal code and various fiscal, judicial, and educational improvements that left a lasting impact on the region.12