Medieval Spain: Society, Religion, Economy, and Culture
Society and Economy in Medieval Spain
Social Organization and Classes
Medieval Spanish society was hierarchical, with the nobility and high clergy at the summit. These lords, ranging from powerful magnates to humble gentlemen, were bound by personal relationships based on vassalage and fiefdom. Members of the clergy, such as bishops and abbots, also held positions of power and influence, some even leading troops into battle. The most powerful clergy served in the curia regia, the king’s advisory council.
Village Life: The peasantry experienced varying levels of wealth and dependence on the lords. During the feudal period, the number of smallholder farmers decreased, leading to increased dependence on lords and occasional peasant resistance. One example is the revolt in Sahagún, where villagers and craftsmen clashed with their lord and his vassal warriors. Most peasants worked on leased land, and in some regions, like northern Aragon and Catalonia, lords imposed harsh conditions and abuses on their peasants, including demanding payments for leaving the land. These rebellious peasants were known as the remensa peasants.
Religious Diversity
Medieval Spain was characterized by religious diversity, with Christians, Muslims, and Jews coexisting.
Financial Resources of the Christian Kingdoms
Farming and Farming Systems
[Content about farming systems would be added here based on available information.]
Livestock: The Honrado Concejo de la Mesta
Both the Crown of Castile and the Crown of Aragon established institutions to manage sheep routes (cañadas) between winter and summer pastures. These institutions were the Honrado Concejo de la Mesta in Castile and the Casa de Ganaderos de Zaragoza in Aragon. Wool became a primary export for the Hispanic kingdoms, alongside Basque iron, Andalusian oil and wine, and Catalan cloth. In return, the kingdoms imported weapons and high-quality cloth.
Handicrafts: Guilds and Brotherhoods
[Content about guilds and brotherhoods would be added here based on available information.]
Culture and Art
Christians, Muslims, and Jews: The Toledo School of Translators
Cultural exchange between Christianity and Islam flourished in monasteries. Following the conquest of Toledo, Zaragoza, and Tudela, these monasteries, with the encouragement of bishops, became centers of translation. Scholars from across Europe collaborated to translate Arabic texts on philosophy, medicine, astronomy, and mathematics into Latin. Toledo, Cartagena, and Seville were particularly active centers, with the most notable effort being the group supported by Alfonso X the Wise in Toledo.
Monastic Culture: The Castilian Romance
Many monasteries established schools for the intellectual training of monks and the preservation of biblical and patristic knowledge. Cathedral schools taught the trivium (Grammar, Rhetoric, and Dialectics) and the quadrivium (Arithmetic, Geometry, Music, and Astronomy).
The population of the Christian kingdoms was largely illiterate. From the 8th century, Latin gradually gave way to vernacular languages like Galician, Leonese, Castilian, Aragonese, and Catalan, except in the Basque region. These new languages began appearing in documents and literary works, with the clergy and minstrels being among the first to use them.
Early Romance literature, such as the Poema de Mio Cid, the works of Gonzalo de Berceo, and those of Alfonso X the Wise, played a crucial role in shaping the future of Romance languages in the Iberian Peninsula. Troubadour and minstrel songs, along with epic verses, provided entertainment and shaped public opinion. Kings and nobles also utilized them as propaganda tools.
Universities of the Thirteenth Century: Salamanca
In the 13th century, the study of philosophy, arts, law, and medicine became more secular, leading to the establishment of universities. The first were those of Valladolid and Salamanca in the Crown of Castile and Huesca and Lleida in Aragon.
Art: Asturian, Mozarabic, and Romanesque
Asturian Art: Santa María del Naranco
Pre-Romanesque Asturian art drew some inspiration from Visigothic art but developed its own unique and innovative features, showing connections to Carolingian art. During the 9th and 10th centuries, a series of temples were built with distinctive characteristics such as basilican layouts, flat apses, and facades sometimes featuring stilted arches, decorated columns, and latticework.
Mozarabic Art: San Miguel de Escalada and San Cebrián de Mazote
Mozarabic architecture featured diverse layouts, often with compartmentalized spaces, reminiscent of Hispano-Visigothic architecture. Other characteristics include:
- Barrel and keel vaults with ribs of Arab influence
- Horseshoe arches in the Islamic style
- Alfiz (a rectangular frame) surrounding arches
- Composite piers and columns
- Corinthian capitals with decorated collars
- Geometric decorative elements
Romanesque Art
Romanesque architects constructed churches with massive stone walls to support the weight of the vaults. Openings, though symbolically representing light, were limited in size and number to maintain the structural integrity of the walls. Consequently, Romanesque churches often have dimly lit interiors that foster contemplation. Notable examples include the Church of San Martín de Frómista, the Basilica of San Isidoro in León, the Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos, and the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.