Florencian Estates

[Audrada Rôibeardét]

I was reading the posts in the College of Arms and noticed a request for estate. How many estates are in Florencia? Is there an estate map or something?

[Hooligan]

Each city block is a barony, meaning that there are 23 possible baronies in Florencia (not counting el Parc da Ceáiçar, which is an estate reserved to the King). I myself am baron of the Barony of Hooligan, bounded by Ivanhoe Pl., North Ave., and Prospect Ave. From (very justifiable) humility, I chose the (second) smallest barony in the province when I was made a peer.

Quedeir Baron Castiglha, also a Florencian, is eligible to choose any of the other 22.

Here is a map of the greatest province (with the markings given in English):

Counties consist of groups of baronies, and duchies consist of multiple counties.

Hope this helps!

Hooligan

[Sir C. M. Siervicül]

To further elaborate (and prevent misunderstandings), these territorial associations are customary and symbolic. They're like the territorial designations of titles of nobility in the UK: they aren't an actual grant of land, and don't have any real legal significance beyond the right to use the title. For example, we don't pretend that the actual residents of the block from which Lord Hooligan's title takes its name are his serfs or feudal tenants.

[Audrada Rôibeardét]

Yes, I understand that. I do understand that Talossans have no claim to land in the GTA unless they have a deed of purchase, i.e. they own the land outright. I doubt any Talossan actually owns an entire city block in Florencia.

It's kind of interesting to see this division of provinces. It's something that we don't do in the Republic. We divide our provinces into parishes as opposed to counties and we don't have the feudal system so no baronies.

And Florencia is three times as large, which I'm not so happy about anymore.

[Sir C. M. Siervicül]

The Kingdom doesn't have a feudal system either, really. In Scotland, for example, there is a distinction between feudal titles (which were until quite recently inextricably bound to ownership of a particular piece of land) and titles which are personal dignities. Our titles fall into the latter category.

Also, these baronies, counties, and duchies relate only to titles of nobility, of which there are very few (4 to be precise) and not a general scheme of land division. The actual legal/administrative subdivisions of provinces are cantons (els cantons), parishes (els pleivs), and townships (els borgais), per the 1997 Organic Law. Sounds like you guys have retained parishes, at least. These subdivisions are all tied to U.S. Census units, being tracts, block groups, and blocks, respectively.

So, Lord Hooligan's barony is coextensive with a township in Florencia's one parish, and baronies will generally be coextensive with townships (since both are based on city blocks). Counties and duchies (none of which have yet been defined) may or may not be coextensive with parishes and cantons.

[Owen Edwards]

I would suggest Duchies are actually provincial level titles - Duke of Florencia. Cézembre is a different matter of course, as it is a separate Kingdom.

[Sir C. M. Siervicül]

That would have the benefit of strong downward pressure on the number of ducal titles (not that that's been a problem).

One title predating the current scheme is Viscount of Vuode. This was originally a royal title, but then became personal to King Robert I.

[Audrada Rôibeardét]

Well, Florencia is divided into parishes. I believe the GSP is divided into districts.

[Sir C. M. Siervicül]

Which only shows that your Florencia retains some beloved tradition, while this "GSP" is an unnatural abomination. Now, if your Maricopa had survived...

[Audrada Rôibeardét]

I believe that Maricopa is a district of the GSP these days. Maybe I'll try to reduce the size of our Florencia back to it's traditional borders...again. I brought it up once before and then I didn't follow through.