Medieval Iberia Research Articles

Queenship, Wealth and Material Culture in Late Medieval Iberia: Sibila de Fortià’s Evolution from Royal Mistress to Dowager Queen of the Crown of Aragon (1375–1387)

ABSTRACT This paper examines the rise and decline of Sibila de Fortià through the lens of material and economic considerations. The text highlights the intricate interplay between materiality and royal dignity in the life of Queen Sibila. It portrays how her ascent and authority were closely tied to her economic resources and possessions, including symbolic items like the crown and seals. Material culture played a critical role in shaping and projecting the queen's image, especially when her legitimacy was questioned. The paper provides a chronological examination, emphasising the economic and material dimensions of her progression, charting her journey from the king's paramour to her tenure as a queen and finally addressing the challenges encountered during her widowhood. This article is part of a research cluster in this issue on the economic power of medieval queens.

:Food Consumption in Medieval Iberia: A Socio-Economic Analysis, 13th–15th Centuries

:<i>Food Consumption in Medieval Iberia: A Socio-Economic Analysis, 13th–15th Centuries</i>

“Empire” Building in Medieval Iberia? Roots, Trajectories, Divergences

ABSTRACT The objective of this article is to reflect on the connections between early modern Spanish empire building and expansionism by Christian principalities during the medieval period. The core argument, which is, by necessity, reductionist owing to the brevity of this article, is that while late medieval / early modern attitudes about conquest and world domination drew heavily on the history, models, and practices of earlier centuries, the ideology of empire that emerged from the later fifteenth century was distinct in two primary, interrelated respects. First, the increased political fragmentation within Christian-ruled lands intensified the more localized, inward-looking dynamic of the territorial struggles against Muslim regimes that contrasted with the more global outlook of later medieval and early modern Christian imperialism. Second, the distinct ideologies of these sometimes coordinated but often competitive earlier expansionist efforts were founded upon different justificatory conceptions of sacred and secular history that, again, were, in essence, much more peninsular in their orientation.

Medieval Fare: Food and Culture in Medieval Iberia

Medieval Fare: Food and Culture in Medieval Iberia

Beyond Hagiography: Gender and Violence in the Earliest Liturgy for Pelagius

Abstract Pelagius is most famously known as the saint who was martyred by the tenth-century emir of Córdoba for not submitting to his advances. The story has fascinated historians of gender and sexuality for the ways in which it appears to challenge gendered standards of sanctity. But was this how Pelagius was remembered in the sources with which he was first venerated? This article looks beyond the hagiographical narrative that has mostly concerned historians to the existing liturgies for the saint as celebrated according to the Old Hispanic Rite, with a Mass and three distinct offices surviving in multiple manuscripts from early medieval Iberia. Close study of the liturgy reveals how liturgists consciously shaped the identity of Pelagius, borrowing materials and tropes from both male and female saints in order to anchor an unusual contemporary saint in old models.

A morphological and molecular approach to investigating infectious disease in early medieval Iberia: The necropolis of La Olmeda (Palencia, Spain).

Here we investigate infectious diseases that potentially contribute to osteological lesions in individuals from the early medieval necropolis of La Olmeda (6th-11th c. CE) in North Iberia. We studied a minimum number of 268 individuals (33 adult females; 38 adult males, 77 unknown/indeterminate sex; and 120 non-adults), including articulated and commingled remains. Individuals with differential diagnoses suggesting chronic systemic infectious diseases were sampled and bioinformatically screened for ancient pathogen DNA. Five non-adults (and no adults) presented skeletal evidence of chronic systemic infectious disease (1.87% of the population; 4.67% of non-adults). The preferred diagnoses for these individuals included tuberculosis, brucellosis, and malaria. Ancient DNA fragments assigned to the malaria-causing pathogen, Plasmodium spp., were identified in three of the five individuals. Observed pathology includes lesions generally consistent with malaria; however, additional lesions in two of the individuals may represent hitherto unknown variation in the skeletal manifestation of this disease or co-infection with tuberculosis or brucellosis. Additionally, spondylolysis was observed in one individual with skeletal lesions suggestive of infectious disease. This study sheds light on the pathological landscape in Iberia during a time of great social, demographic, and environmental change. Genetic evidence challenges the hypothesis that malaria was absent from early medieval Iberia and demonstrates the value of combining osteological and archaeogenetic methods. Additionally, all of the preferred infectious diagnoses for the individuals included in this study (malaria, tuberculosis, and brucellosis) could have contributed to the febrile cases described in historical sources from this time.

North and South in Medieval Iberia: A historical and environmental estimate through isotopic analyses.

The Middle Ages in the Iberian Peninsula is a period of special interest for studying the relationship of climate change with historical and socioeconomic processes. Between the 8th and 15th centuries AD, the Peninsula was characterized not only by complex political, cultural, and social transitions but also by major variations in the climate. The objective of this study was to examine differences in diet and mobility between distinct populations of the Peninsula and explore the possible relationship of diet, mobility, and culture with environmental variables and geographical settings. For this purpose, we obtained stable isotopic ratios of carbon and oxygen (δ13C and δ18O) from the enamel apatite of first upper incisors from 145 individuals at eight archeological sites that represent both Christian and Islamic communities and both rural and urban social settings. Results revealed a dietary difference between Christian and Islamic populations, observing a greater contribution of C4 plants, possibly sorghum, in the diet of the latter, especially in a rural setting. The disparity in oxygen isotopic ratios between populations from the North and South of the Peninsula is consistent with modern climatic differences between these regions. In this line, intraregional variability in oxygen isotopic ratios may hint at diachronic occupation phases under varying climatic conditions. The few isotopic outliers in our sample suggest overall low mobility levels.

ENTRE EL MITE I LA REALITAT. ELEMENTS MEDIEVALISTES DEL CATALANISME PARTICULARISTA DE V. ALMIRALL ( LO CATALANISME , 1886)

This article analyzes Lo catalanisme (1886) by V. Almirall through the lens of Medievalism and Cultural Nationalism. In his work Almirall consistently describes the Crown of Aragon as a confederació and the polities that formed it as estats . This particular characterization of a composite monarchy as a simple confederation of states has clearly more to do with the aspirations of nineteenth-century Catalanism than with the reality of medieval Iberia, and therefore represents a good example of the ideological use of the past. By emphasizing the Crown of Aragon’s decentralized structure and by downplaying the role of the monarchy, in fact, Almirall intended to promote two key ideas about Catalonia’s past, present and future. First: when given the opportunity, Catalans have always organized themselves according to the principle of federalism. Second: the values of liberty and democracy have always been at the core of their collective identity as Catalans. The message is clear: the creation of an autonomous Catalonia within a federally organized Spain is not only a political project that reflects Catalonia’s desire for auto-determination but also a tribute to its history and identity.

The Architectural Christian Spolia in Early Medieval Iberia: Reflections between Material Reuse and Cultural Appropriation

The reuse of construction materials has been a consistent practice throughout the history of architecture, especially prevalent during periods of transition when it was preferred for its ability to simplify installation and reduce construction costs. This practice was particularly common in late Roman urban contexts, where construction materials, especially ashlar and sculptural elements, were abundant following the abandonment of temples and public buildings. However, there are occasions when the use of spolia, or reused materials, goes beyond simple material recycling. The reuse and display of certain pieces carry complex implications involving symbology, cultural appropriation, or collective memory exercises that convey messages through new buildings. In this paper, we focus on the unique case of Hispanic Christian architectural sculptures that were “recycled” in new buildings during the first centuries of Islamic domination of the Iberian Peninsula, specifically within places of worship. Through a general analysis and review of some examples, we aim to reflect on the motivations and intentionality behind the use of certain sculptural pieces and their placement in new buildings, which is not arbitrary.

Unravelling social status in the first medieval military order of the Iberian Peninsula using isotope analysis

Medieval Iberia witnessed the complex negotiation of religious, social, and economic identities, including the formation of religious orders that played a major role in border disputes and conflicts. While archival records provide insights into the compositions of these orders, there have been few direct dietary or osteoarchaeological studies to date. Here, we analysed 25 individuals discovered at the Zorita de los Canes Castle church cemetery, Guadalajara, Spain, where members of one of the first religious orders, the Order of Calatrava knights, were buried between the 12th to 15th centuries CE. Stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope analyses of bone collagen reveal dietary patterns typical of the Medieval social elite, with the Bayesian R model, ‘Simmr’ suggesting a diet rich in poultry and marine fish in this inland population. Social comparisons and statistical analyses further support the idea that the order predominantly comprised the lower nobility and urban elite in agreement with historical sources. Our study suggests that while the cemetery primarily served the order's elite, the presence of individuals with diverse dietary patterns may indicate complexities of temporal use or wider social interaction of the medieval military order.

Creating and Using Liturgies for the Commune sanctorum in Medieval Iberia

Abstract Providing source material for liturgical practice on a significant proportion of feast days in each sanctorale cycle, the Commune sanctorum liturgies had crucial daily importance for medieval Christians. Despite their frequent use, or perhaps because of this prosaic nature, the Commune sanctorum has rarely been considered as a liturgical phenomenon in its own right. Focusing on the Old Hispanic liturgy, this article explores the creation and presentation of the Commune sanctorum. We address systematically a question left unexamined in previous scholarship: where did the Commune sanctorum come from? We first survey the Old Hispanic material shared with other rites. Turning then to the Old Hispanic rite’s unique material, we examine materials found only in the Commons and those shared elsewhere in the rite. We set out a methodology for determining the direction of origin for such shared chants, demonstrating the importance of proper saints’ liturgies in the creation of the Commune sanctorum as well as the creative interest in producing new Commons materials. In addition to the origin of the Commune sanctorum, this article engages with manuscript presentation, asking how Commons materials were organized and how such presentations guided liturgical practitioners. A deeper understanding of the Commune sanctorum opens a window onto one of the foundational devotional experiences of Western Christendom.

The Aesthetics of Melancholia: Medical and Spiritual Diseases in Medieval Iberia by Luis F. López González (review)

The Aesthetics of Melancholia: Medical and Spiritual Diseases in Medieval Iberia by Luis F. López González (review)

Understanding the Old Hispanic Office: Texts, Melodies and Devotion in Early Medieval Iberia by Emma Hornby, Kati Ihnat, Rebecca Maloy, and Raquel Rojo Carrillo (review)

Understanding the Old Hispanic Office: Texts, Melodies and Devotion in Early Medieval Iberia by Emma Hornby, Kati Ihnat, Rebecca Maloy, and Raquel Rojo Carrillo (review)

Performing death in medieval Iberia: an introduction to the end of life

ABSTRACT This article serves as an introduction to a discussion on cultural practices relating to death in late medieval Iberia. It contends that an intersectional approach is necessary to study this topic because, while all humans die, the way they are buried, memorialized, and remembered is tied to factors such as culture, religion, class, wealth, gender, tradition, legal practices, medical knowledge, technology, and historical context. The second part of this introduction offers an overview of the articles that form this special issue, the goal of which is to gender death in order to better appreciate how late medieval women prepared for it, and how they were commemorated by those they left behind.

‘Power... dictates its law to sex’: The Permeability of Sexual Relations Boundaries in Medieval Iberia

‘Power... dictates its law to sex’: The Permeability of Sexual Relations Boundaries in Medieval Iberia

Bound and Burdened: How Contemporary Empalaos Rituals in Valverde Rewrite Crypto Muslim and Jewish History in Late Medieval Iberia

Abstract: Los Empalaos is a Semana Santa practice and living medievalism maintained today in the town of Valverde de la Vera in Extremadura, Spain. The town situates this practice in opposition to the luxurious daytime Holy Week festivities of major Spanish cities like Seville. A ghostly, endurance-based midnight performance enacted by lace-draped devotees, this spectacle draws pilgrims and tourists from across the world to the tiny town. Los Empalaos is traced by contemporary practitioners to fifteenth-century festivities that grew up around the expulsions of Jews. These recalled forced performances by converts intended to display their total transformation into "good Spanish Christians" through public bodily suffering and humiliation. This article argues that Los Empalaos uniquely incorporates a complex interplay of gender, rural and ethnoreligious identity, and traumatic historical memory while drawing on acts and events from late medieval Spain. This festive ritual encoded traces of Crypto-Jewish and Crypto-Muslim lamentations. The article reflects on the historicizing narrative of contemporary Semana Santa festivities as critical cultural spectacles whose repertoire recreates and transforms the medieval imaginary, obfuscating Jewish and Muslim histories.

The Aesthetics of Melancholia: Medical and Spiritual Diseases in Medieval Iberia by Luis F. López González (review)

The Aesthetics of Melancholia: Medical and Spiritual Diseases in Medieval Iberia by Luis F. López González (review)

The Social Context of the Charter: Times and Places of Documentation in Early Medieval Iberia (711-1031)

When and where was a charter written? Whether the scribe prepared it before, during, or after a transaction, on the spot or elsewhere, conditions its standing as historical evidence. They are basic questions for understanding how the written record relates to the communities whose actions it reveals. This article seeks answers in the corpus from the kingdoms of Asturias-León and Navarra down to 1031. Attention to the writing and content of the documents points to a variety of scenarios, the most common being: for the scribe to attend the transaction with a prepared template to be integrated into the execution of the transaction, or for the scribe to take notes at the transaction on the essential details to form the basis for later drafting its record. Both scenarios presume the real presence of the scribe as well as the reading aloud of the final text to participants, which together functioned as controls on the written word to ensure its integration into society.

MEDIEVALISMS AND MEDIEVAL TIMES: CONFRONTING CHRONOPOLITICS WITH MEDIEVAL TEXTURES OF TIME

ABSTRACTThis review essay examines Nadia R. Altschul's discussion of medievalism in nineteenth‐ and twentieth‐century South America in Politics of Temporalization: Medievalism and Orientalism in Nineteenth‐Century South America. She explores a chronopolitics whereby the notion that late medieval Iberia lagged developmentally behind the rest of Europe sustained the claim that parts of South America were still medieval, even while capitalist modernity was established elsewhere. Her exploration of the instrumentalization of this trope for neocolonial and neoliberal purposes provokes my own exploration here of medieval ideas about time. Medieval people actually had very sophisticated ideas about time, and this complexity troubles the idea of a simplistic and dully repetitive medieval temporality on which the linear hierarchies of time analyzed and critiqued by Altschul rely. More than this, though, I suggest that medieval ideas of time provide us with alternative chronotopes in the sense of thinking through the relationships between time and space in very different ways; in turn, this might permit a different kind of chronopolitics. First, I explore the ways in which medieval people experienced and articulated multiple interwoven layers of time, de‐essentializing hierarchies of temporalities and puncturing the illusion that certain spaces should be associated with certain times. Second, I look at the ways in which time was not straightforwardly conceived of as linear in the Middle Ages and consider the ways in which this troubles ideas of periodization; a short discussion of nostalgia in different periods sustains this point. Third, I explore the ways in which ideas about time could be contested in the Middle Ages, challenging the idea that chronopolitics need just be a study of hegemonic attitudes.

Solomon, His Jinn, and Molten Copper

Abstract The tale of the City of Brass, best known today from the Arabian Nights, tells of the imagined encounter between humans and the occult properties of the material world, namely, the powers inherent in minerals. In the Middle Ages knowledge of such properties was transmitted in works such as the Ghāyat al-Ḥakīm and Alfonso X’s Lapidario. This article explores how this knowledge of precious stones and metals is reflected in the versions of the City of Brass transmitted in medieval Iberia, particularly in the use of copper manifest in the vessels, statues, walls, and domes that bind or contain jinn, treasures, and secrets of the pre-Islamic past.