1st Edition

The City and the Realm: Burgos and Castile, 1080–1492

By Teofilo F. Ruiz Copyright 1992
    330 Pages
    by Routledge

    The articles in the first part of this volume, two being a revised English version of an article originally in Spanish, examine the place of the city in the historical development of Castile. The focus is the social and economic history of Burgos, and the work is founded on detailed research in the archives of the area. Professor Ruiz also calls into question the long held belief in the democratic character of medieval Castilian municipal life. In the second section he opens the field of enquiry to deal with the controversial question of what impact the conquest of Seville and the subsequent settlement of al-Andalus had on the realm of Castile, looking in particular at demographic factors and the emergence of the latifundia. The following articles analyse the symbolism and ceremonial of royal power, arguing that the claims for a sacred monarchy so usual in the medieval West were absent during this period of Spanish history, and that the kings used popular secular ceremonies, not anointments or coronations, to legitimise their rule. The book then closes with a study of the origins of the Spanish Inquisition. Les travaux contenus dans la première partie de cet ouvrage examinent la place de la Cité dans le développement historique de la Castille. L’intérêt central porte sur l’histoire sociale et économique de Burgos et l’analyse est fondée sur une recherche détaillée dans les archives de cette région. Le professeur Ruiz remet aussi en question la croyance que l’on avait depuis longtemps quant au caractère démocratique de la vie municipale dans la Castille médiévale. Dans la seconde partie, l’auteur élargit le champs de l’enquête afin de traiter de la question controversée au sujet de l’impact de la conquête de Séville et l’occupation consécutive d’al-Andalus sur le royaume de Castille, s’intéressant en particulier aux facteurs démographiques et à l’émergence de latifundia. Les études suivantes analysent le symbol

    Contents: Preface; Burgos and the council of 1080; The economic structure of the area of Burgos, 1200 - 1350; Burgos y el comercio castellano en la Baja Edad Media; Una nota sobre la estructura y relaciones fiscales del Burgos bajomedieval; Notas para el estudio de la mujer en el área del Burgos medieval; Two patrician families in late medieval Burgos: the Sarracin and the Bonifaz; The transformation of the Castilian municipalities: the case of Burgos, 1248-1350; Expansion et changement: la conquête de Séville et la société castillane (1248-1350); Castilian merchants in England, 1248-1350; Une note sur la vie rurale dans la région d’Aguilar de Campóo;La formazione del mercato della terra nella Castiglia del basso medioevo; Oligarchy and royal power: the Castilian Cortes and the Castilian crisis, 1248-1469; Unsacred monarchy: the kings of Castile in the Late Middle Ages; Images of power in the seals of the Castilian monarchy, 1135-1469; Festivités, couleurs et symbols du pouvoir en Castille au XVe siècle; The Holy Office in medieval France and late medieval Castile: origins and contrasts; Index.

    Biography

    Teofilo F. Ruiz

    'Students of medieval Spanish history are very much in his debt.' Catholic History Review