Capitulare de villis vel curtis imperii.
The Capitulare de villis vel curtis imperii, commonly referred to simply as the Capitulare de villis, is a remarkable administrative document issued during the reign of Charlemagne (circa 800 AD). More than a list of rules, it reflects the Carolingian emperor’s ambitious effort to standardize and manage the vast imperial estates that sustained his empire. Among its many concerns—ranging from justice and governance to inventory management and household conduct—one section stands out for its enduring cultural relevance: a detailed list of plants to be cultivated in the royal gardens.
This list, found in chapter 70 of the document, names 94 plants, including vegetables, herbs, fruits, and medicinal species. It reads almost like a blueprint for a medieval kitchen garden: leeks, onions, cabbages, parsnips, fennel, mint, rosemary, and many others. It even includes exotic items like ginger and costmary, showing the reach and ambition of Carolingian horticulture.
The Capitulare offers more than botanical curiosity; it illustrates Charlemagne’s desire to exert control over nature and the economy through order, uniformity, and self-sufficiency. By prescribing which plants were to be grown, he ensured that each estate would be equipped not only to feed itself but also to serve the health and needs of the court and army. In a time of limited infrastructure and communication, such detailed regulation helped stabilize resources across a sprawling empire.
Today, the Capitulare de villis is regarded as a cornerstone of medieval agronomy and early European statecraft. It bridges the worlds of governance, agriculture, and cultural transmission—testifying to a ruler who understood that an empire's strength lay not only in armies and alliances but in well-managed gardens and kitchens.
The Capitulare de villis in English.