Identity construction of the European medium sized city through the monasticism repercussions in Écija

Abstract

The monasticism appeared during the dawn of Christianity has made a major contribution to Europe’s culture and identity. The spread of Christian faith throughout the continent was achieved not only through a new morality and religion but also through art and convent architecture. The Middle Ages were the peak of this monastic production. Orders such as Cistercians or Dominicans would appear mainly in France and Italy spreading their rules and ways of life to the whole continent. It is a phenomenon that transcends borders, kingdoms and geographical elements, bringing together many people under the same identity. The flag of the Latin cross waved in the European Middle Ages. However, the reality in southern Iberian Peninsula was different. Al-Andalus stood as a bastion of Islam in Europe long before the appearance of the Ottoman Empire. At the end of the Middle Ages, the Kingdom of Castile began to occupy territories held by the Muslim Kingdom of Granada. The need to Christianise the new conquered lands would call a multitude of monastic orders settled in Europe to focus their attention on the new Kingdom of Seville. The main cities such as Seville, Cordoba, etc. would be the most coveted for the new foundations. Nevertheless, Écija is located in the Guadalquivir river valley in a difficult position on the border with the Kingdom of Granada. In the 14th Century, Écija had close to 10, 000 inhabitants, which, at the time, was a large number. A city which was an attraction point for Christian Communities, which according to their origin, 31% came from Italy, 22% from France, 37% from Spain and 10% from Jerusalem. The study of Écija shows the crossing of continental relationships through monasticism. How could the influence of Christianity manage to cover an entire continent to the most remote place? We could find the keys to understand the urban construction of western monasticism through the main average conventual cities in Andalusia.