Metadata: Cathedral Archive of Badajoz
Collection
- Country:
- Spain
- Holding institution:
- Ecclesiastical Archives of Merida-Badajoz
- Holding institution (official language):
- Archivos Eclesiasticos de Merida-Badajoz
- Postal address:
- Calle Obispo San Juan de Ribera 13 A, 4 B. 06002 – Badajoz
- Phone number:
- +34 924 221 596
- Web address:
- http://archivos.meridabadajoz.es/
- Reference number:
- ES. 6015. AD
- Title:
- Cathedral Archive of Badajoz
- Title (official language):
- Archivo Catedralicio de Badajoz
- Creator/accumulator:
- Cathedral chapter of Badajoz
- Date note:
- 13th/20th century
- Language:
- Spanish; Castilian
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- Good
- Scope and content:
-
The collection of the Cathedral Archive of Badajoz contains documents from the Middle Ages through the twentieth century. The archive preserves the cathedral chapter minutes, manuscript volumes related to works of the cathedral, manuscripts in the cathedral chapter’s properties, inquisitorial proceedings, and musical documents. This collection is based on medieval documents that are contained in the following series:
"Civil" series (1361-1979).
"Conventual" series contains files related to the convents of the city and the diocese of Badajoz (1477-1863).
"Culto" series (1441 -1979) contains information related to the cathedral clergy’s worship.
"Diezmos" series (1442-1847) contains information related to the payment of the tithe tax.
"Episcopal" series (1357-1979) contains information on cathedral positions.
"Hacienda" series (1380-1979) contains information on the income and expenses of the cathedral chapter.
“Historico” series (1335-1930) contains documents of a different type, such as payment of debts, rental and transfer of property, etc.
"Juridica" (legal) series (1442-1944).
“Libros manuscritos” series (1379-179, 106 books). There are three manuscript volumes containing Royal letters, and more than 100 Royal decrees.
"Penales" (criminal) (1440-1884).
“Pergaminos” series (1255-1802; around 300 parchments) contains documents of different types, such as property records. 27 royal parchments (1255-1393) and 60 pontifical parchments (1313-1802) are preserved.
"Procesales" (trials) series (1445-1857).
Concerning Jews, the “Pergaminos” series contains information on Jews from Badajoz since the thirteenth century. There is information on the farming of royal taxes and their collection in Badajoz; debts owed to Jews by individuals (1287) and by clergy, such as the archdeacon of Badajoz (1423); references to the Jewish quarter and the synagogue (1362, 1375, and 1428); rental of cathedral chapter properties by Jews (1474). There is also information on the sale of different types of property, such as vineyards (1357, 1479).
In the files, information related to Jews is also preserved, such as sales and transfers of property (1418, 1454, 1473, and 1474). The accounts of the cathedral chapter of 1439 and 1440 contain a list of several urban properties rented by Jews in Badajoz and neighboring places.
Inquisitorial processes (fifteenth to eighteenth centuries) are also preserved in the archive, including information on the David Reubeni affair (1538).
- Archival history:
- The Cathedral Archive of Badajoz gathered documentation related to the cathedral since its establishment in the thirteenth century up until today. In 1519, it carried out a first organization of the archive. Years later (1581), an inventory was made. In 1665 a new arrangement of the archive was completed. Between 1750 and 1754, another inventory-catalog was produced. During the Peninsular War, a large part of the documents was transferred to Portugal and recovered, partially, by the cathedral chapter at the end of the war. As result of the Mendizabal ecclesiastical confiscation, some documents were also lost. In 1848, a new organization of the archive was carried out. Since 1971, improvements on the organization and preservation of the fonds have been systematically made.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The Archdiocese of Merida-Badajoz has its origins in the Bishops of Merida (third to tenth centuries). In the tenth century, the headquarters of the Diocese moved to Badajoz. Since 1994, the Archbishop is known as of Merida-Badajoz.
- System of arrangement:
- This collection is classified in the following series: 1. Actas Capitulares; 2. Archivo; 3. Arte; 4. Censos; 5. Civil; 6. Clero Catedral; 7. Consueta; 8. Contaduria; 9. Conventual; 10. Correspondencia y comunicaciones; 11. Culto; 12. Diezmos; 13. Episcopal; 14. Excusado; 15. Fabrica; 16. Hacienda; 17. Historico; 18. Informaciones genealógicas; 19. Instituciones Reales; 20. Junta Diocesana; 21. Juridica; 22. Libros manuscritos; 23. Mesa Capitular; 24. Nunciatura; 25. Obras Pias, Memorias, Capellanias; 26. Obras y Reparaciones; 27. Palacio Episcopal; 28. Parroquial; 29. Penales; 30. Pergaminos; 31. Procesales; 32. Pueblos; 33. Puntos; 36. Varios.
- Access, restrictions:
- The access to the archive is free upon 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 the documents’ state of preservation.
- Finding aids:
- Several inventories are available at the archive. Data on the collection are also 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; April 2020
