Ganadería e integración del espacio regional: la organización y la gestión de las pasturas en las fronteras de la Corona de Aragón, siglos XII-XIV

Abstract

In this article, we analyse the management of pasturelands in the border areas of Catalonia, Aragón and Valencia during the twelfth to fourteenth centuries. As Muslim territories receded with the Christian conquest of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the monarchy and the feudal lords favoured the creation of a large livestock producing area. Livestock thus became the main economic activity for people living in towns and rural communities along the borders of these three political areas. The establishment of diverse rights and uses related to pasturelands gave rise to confrontations among social groups and conflict throughout the region. As systems for communal and private management of pastures were negotiated, feudal lords increasingly delegated management to towns and rural communities, which gradually obtained greater autonomy. Our aim is to analyse the evolution, amalgamation and issues associated with pasture management systems in a rural society.