Metadata: Cathedral Chapter’s Minutes
Collection
- Country:
- Spain
- Holding institution:
- Cathedral Archive of Avila
- Holding institution (official language):
- Archivo Catedralicio de Avila
- Postal address:
- Avenida de la Inmaculada 9. 05005 - Avila
- Phone number:
- +34 920 220 192
- Web address:
- http://www.obav.es
- Reference number:
- ES.5019. AC/1.1
- Title:
- Cathedral Chapter’s Minutes
- Title (official language):
- Actas Capitulares
- Creator/accumulator:
- Cathedral chapter of Avila
- Date(s):
- 1474/1989
- Language:
- Spanish; Castilian
- Extent:
- 282 volumes
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- Good
- Scope and content:
-
The minutes of the cathedral chapter of Avila, also known as “Actas Capitulares”, contain information related to the city’s cathedral chapter. The minutes are preserved in circa 300 volumes starting in the mid-fifteenth century, although they are only entirely preserved since 1511. The cathedral chapter worked intensively in religious, cultural, artistic, health and hospital and charitable-welfare affairs. The minutes inform us about these activities and about the relations between the cathedral chapter and the Roman Curia, the city council, the population at large, and different institutions. The issues contained in the documents are varied: salaries of the cathedral officials, norms regulating divine worship, alms for institutions and individuals, founding of hospitals and financial assistance to them, care of orphans, creation of pious foundations, etc. There is a large amount of data about properties that belonged to the cathedral chapter in Avila and its surroundings, in particular, inventories, leases, rentals, and sales and purchases of real estate. Information about the parties involved, the characteristics of the property, and its boundaries and neighborhood is provided. The documents show that the relationship between the cathedral chapter and the city council was very active, containing both collaboration and conflicts.
Regarding Jews, there is information regarding leases, censuses, house transfers and sales. In addition to the names of the Jewish individuals who participated in these transactions are the names of the guarantors. Of special interest are the payment orders made in 1474 and 1475 to the cathedral chapter’s Jewish physicians, Yuçe and Mair.
- Archival history:
- This collection was created at the Cathedral Archive of Avila, where it has been always kept.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The founding of the cathedral chapter of Avila took place at the beginning of the twelfth century. After the conquest of Avila by Alfonso VI, the cathedral chapter grew significantly and acquired great influence. During that century, its positions became consolidated, and its statutes were put in writing in 1250.
- Access, restrictions:
- The access to the archive is free upon the presentation of an identification document. The consultation of the documents will be subject to the legal regulations in force regarding access and may be restricted depending on their state of preservation.
- Finding aids:
- Data on the collection are available at the website of the Spanish National Archives (PARES).
- Links to finding aids:
- https://pares.culturaydeporte.gob.es/inicio.html
- Yerusha Network member:
- Spanish National Research Council
- Author of the description:
- Marina Girona Berenguer; ILC, CSIC; December 2019