Abstract
It is well known that the idea of a hierarchical organisation of medieval society also influenced the structure of social space. The place occupied by an individual among the others present had a certain symbolic value.
It is not surprising, therefore, that the occupation of a particular spot was a regular pretext for often heated disputes. Classical examples include the disputes between church princes over who would sit to the right or left of the ruler at festivities.
However, research has tended to ignore the fact that such 'status' disputes did not only take place between princes who wanted to be close to the sovereign. This text is devoted to status disputes among people of lower social standing and, more generally, to the question of the social and economic capital that the organisation and symbolic value of social space offered to this stratum of society.