Paper presented at the conference: After the Conquest: Converging Approaches to the Study of the Iberian Reconquista, Woolf Institute, University of Cambridge, February 2018
2. The Book
Authorship, uniqueness and veracity
Llibre dels Feyts, Poblet's manuscript (detail), 1343.
Universitat de Barcelona, Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes , 233712
4. Construction role in warfare
Military tactics and master builders
Cantigas de Santa Maria, Codex T.I.l., Cantiga 28, Siege of Constantinople (detail), 13th cent.
6. Alzira, 1242 (330)
E faeren ses cartes ab nos con romasessen en Algezira ab aquels furs e custumes
que eren en temps de los almohades; e que poguessen fer lur offici en les
mesquites aixi con solien […].
“And they drew up their treaties with us, as to how they would remain at Alzira
with the lawcodes and customs they had in the time of the Almohads, and they
could practice their services in the mosques as they were accostumed to do
[…].”
Elche, 1265 (418)
E foren aquestes les coses que els demanaven: la Iª, que∙y romasessen ab totes
lurs heretats; e l∙altra, que tinguessen lur ley en cridar en lur mesquita; e la terça,
que fossen jutjats a custum de sarrains [...].
“And these were the things that they asked. First, that they would be able to
remain there with all their inheritances. Second, that they would be able to
practise their religion, as to shouting from their mosque. And the third, that they
could be judged according to the custom of the Saracens [...].”
Mosques
Role of mosques in the capitulations
7. Murcia,1266 [448, 450]
E dixeren nos que∙ns pregaven que nos no emparassem la mesquita ni la
volguessem tolre a ells, car aquel era lo meylor loch que ells havien per fer lur
oracio. E nos dixem los que aixi com ells volien lo meylor loch per fer oratio, que
nos lo voliem haver, e que d∙altra manera no podia esser ni devia [...]. E quan
vench que nos haguem la esglesia, sempre manam hi fer altar de nostra dona
sancta Maria, car en totes les viles que grans fossen, que Deus nos havia
donades a goanyar de sarrains, haviem hedifficada esglesia de nostra dona
sancta Maria.
"And they asked that we should not occupy the mosque nor should we wish to
take it from them, because it was the best place they had in which to make their
prayers. And we said to them that just as they wanted the best place to make
their prayers, we also wished to have it, and that it would not be in any other way
nor could be [...] On gaining the church, we ordered an altar to be set up to Our
Lady Saint Mary, because in all the great towns that God has given unto us to win
from the Saracens we have built a church of Our Lady Saint Mary."
Mosques
Christian appropriation of the Great Mosques
8. Murcia, 1266 [445]
E nos dixem […] aquela mesquita que∙s enclois dins la nostra partida. E ells
dixeren que no era aixi empres, que les lurs cartes dyen que ells haguessen lurs
mesquites e que les tenguessen aixi con les tenien en temps de sarrains. E nos
dixem [...] que la esglesia sia a la porta del alcacer, e c∙hom crit "Ala lo sabba, o
Alla", cant jo dormire, prop de la testa, aço, si be ho entenets, no es cosa
covinent. E vosaltres havets be X mesquites en la vila: ffets vostra oratio en
aqueles, e lexats nos aquesta . E ells dixeren que∙s acordarien.
"And we said […] that that mosque should be included in our part. They said that
that had not been agreed and their documents said that they would keep their
mosques and that they would have them as they had them in the time of the
Saracens. And we said […] that church shall be at the gate of the fortress. And
that from there “Alàlosabba” should be cried near to my head when I am
sleeping... that, as you can well understand, is not fiting. Now, you have some ten
mosques in the town. Make your prayers in those and leave this one to us. And
they said they would deliberate.”
Mosques
Christian appropriation of other mosques
9. Privilege of Jaume I to Huesca Cathedral. Alzira, 29 November 1273 (Archivo de la
Corona de Aragón, register No 19, fol. 131 v.)
Attendentes ciuitatem Oscensem liberatam fuise per nostros antecesores a
manibus paganorum et ecclesiam majorem eiusdem que mesquita saracenorum
esse consuevit, vero quod ad edificium in eodem statu in quo erat tempore
saracenorum, et sit cogitum et honestum ut in statum siue modum ecclesiarum
more christiano constructarum ad honorem sumi domini immutetur.
“Since the city of Huesca was realeased by our ancestors from the pagans'
hands, and its main church, which had been a mosque of the Saracens, certainly
is in the same state as in the time of the Saracens with regards to the building,
and it is convenient to resolve to change it to the state or way of the churches
built according to the Christian tradition, in honor of supreme God.”
Mosques
Jaume I experience of reuse
English translation by the author from Spanish version by DEL ARCO, R., La mezquita mayor y la catedral
de Huesca. Argensola, 5, 1951, p. 3542
10. Palaces and fortresses
Jaume I experience of reuse
Llibre dels Feyts Area Arabic origin English translation
Aljafaria* Zaragoza Qasr alJa'fariyya Ja'far's palace
Çuda Zaragoza Sudda Prince fortified residence
Alcacer Murcia Qa rṣ Fortress or palace
Almudayna Mallorca
Mudayna
(diminutive of Madina)
Little town
* Jaume I concession to Domingo Juan de Azcón, Archivo de la Corona de Aragón, Real Cancillería,
reg. 15, fol. 129 / Donación
Puig de Santa Maria, 1237 [209]
... jo vuyl poblar lo pug que ara ha nom Aneça e haura nom lo Pug de Sancta
Maria.
"... I wish to settle the hill that is now called Enesa and which will have the name
Puig de Santa Maria."
11. Puig de Santa Maria, 1237 [208]
... dixeren nos per cert homens qui venien de Valencia, que derrocat havien lo
castell del Pug. E quan nos ho hoim, pesa∙ns molt; e ab tot lo pesar que nos
n∙aguem, dixem que no∙ns tenia dan, per ço que nos hi fariem I altre castell
queant hi irien ab la ost. E manam fer XX pareyls de tapieres, en secret, que hom
no∙u sabes, en Terol.
“... told me for certain that the castle of Puig had been dismantled. When we
heard that, we were very upset; but in spite of the sadness that we felt, we said
that it did not bother us, because we would build another castle there when we
went there with the army. And for that purpose we ordered twenty moulds for
walls to be made at Teruel, secretly, so that nobody knew about it.”
Palaces and fortresses
Major military assets
15. Almenara, 1238 [248]
E aixi sempre, de manteniment, haguem lo castell. Ab tant enviam a la reyna II
cavallers, que pensas de venir, que nostre Senyor nos havia feyta tanta de
gracia e de merce que∙ns havia donat lo castell d∙Almenara, e que mils estaria
ali que a Burriana, e pus asaut. [...] E esperam la tro que vench, e exim a la costa
del peu del castell, e nos e ella entram alegrament dins lo castell, e ab gran
alegria menjam.
"And so, with that, we had the castle. Meanwhile, we sent two knights to the
queen, telling her that she should come quickly, as Our Lord had shown us such
grace and mercy that He had given us the castle of Almenara, and she would
be better off and more comfortable there than at Borriana. [...] And we waited
there until she arrived, then we went out to the slopes at the foot of the castle,
and we and she entered the castle happily and ate with great joy."
Palaces and fortresses
Royal residences
16. Palaces and fortresses
Symbols of power
Mural paintings, Entrance of Jaume I to València (detail), Order of Calatrava Castle, Alcañiz, Teruel, 14th cent.
19. Conclusion
Comparison to contemporary works
Siete Partidas, Alfonso X the Wise, 13th – 14th cent.
Biblioteca Nacional de España, Biblioteca Digital Hispánica, Vitr/4/6
