Metadata: Cathedral Chapter Minutes
Collection
- Country:
- Spain
- Holding institution:
- Cathedral Archive of Palencia
- Holding institution (official language):
- Archivo Catedralicio de Palencia
- Postal address:
- Plaza de la Inmaculada. 34001 - Palencia
- Phone number:
- +34 979 750 294
- Web address:
- https://catedraldepalencia.org/
- Reference number:
- ES.34120.AC/1
- Title:
- Cathedral Chapter Minutes
- Title (official language):
- Actas Capitulares
- Creator/accumulator:
- Cathedral chapter of Palencia
- Date(s):
- 1475/2008
- Language:
- Spanish; Castilian
- Extent:
- 116 volumes; 10 files
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- Good
- Scope and content:
-
The “Actas Capitulares” historical section of the Cathedral Archive of Palencia contains records of the meetings of the cathedral chapter. The cathedral chapter minutes volumes begin in 1413 and continue until today. These volumes are important, because they constitute an irreplaceable source to learn about the activities carried out by the cathedral chapter of Palencia both in the city and in its territory.
The cathedral chapter dealt with religious, cultural, artistic, health and hospital, and charitable-welfare affairs. The minutes inform us about these activities and about the relationship between the cathedral chapter and the Roman See, the city council, the population at large, and other institutions. The issues dealt with in the minutes are varied: salaries of cathedral officials, norms for the regulation of worship, alms for institutions and individuals, the establishment of hospitals and financial assistance to them, care of orphans, creation of pious foundations, etc. There is as well a large amount of data about properties in Palencia and its surroundings that belonged to the cathedral chapter, in particular inventories, leases, rents, and sales and purchases of real estate. Information is provided about the parties involved in contracts and the characteristics of a property and its boundaries and neighborhood. The relationship between the cathedral chapter and the city council was very active, and the minutes supply information about their collaborations and conflicts.
The cathedral chapter minutes contain varied information regarding Jews: the donation of the synagogue by the Bishop of Palencia to the San Salvador Confraternity (1415); auctions and transfers of properties owned by Jews located in the old Jewish quarter (1415, 1428, 1442, 1443, and 1444); information on the farming of the cathedral chapter’s rents in Palencia and its territory, in which the participation of Habraham de Avila, Salamon Hagay and Salamon Maymon stand out (1440, 1441, 1445, 1447, 1451, 1454, 1458, 1459, 1462, 1464, 1467); conflicts between the cathedral chapter and Jews regarding property (1442); sales of properties to Jews, such as a house in the Corral de las Pardas that the Dean sold to Salamon Hagay, a prominent member of the Jewish Aljama of Palencia (1444), and the auction of a vineyard to Villeçi (1446); various matters concerning Jews, such as the arrest of Yuçaf, son of Don Yento (1447); obligations and loans, such as the obligation made by Alonso to Jacob de Avila for some clothes he had bought (1460); and information on properties located in the new Jewish quarter, such as the repair of the houses of the synagogue (1485).
- Archival history:
- In 1579, the cathedral chapter gave a commission to the canons De la Rua, Salina, and Ortega to arrange the Cathedral archive. In 1580, three keys of the archive were distributed among the Dean, the Treasurer, and the oldest canon. It is documented that in 1581, the archive’s cabinet was located in the “Sala Capitular”, and it had a threefold structure (“Cabildo”, “Dignidad Episcopal”, and “Hospital”), indicated with blue letters. In 1583, Canon Juan Alonso de Cordova reported to the cathedral chapter that he had already collected all the documents from the archive and had arranged them. Alonso de Cordova broadened the classification into six series (“Dignidad Episcopal”, “Mesa Capitular”, “Fabrica”, “Hospital”, “Patrimoniales”, “Clero”, and “Particulares”), and the documents were distributed within each series in drawers, with wrappers and numbers. This organization and cataloging comprised the first index of the archive (1583). Alonso de Cordova also included in the prologue of this catalogue the norms and guidelines to find the documents. In addition, he proposed the appointment of an archivist, although this idea would be carried out some time later. In 1584, the cathedral chapter decided that the custodians of the keys would be responsible for ensuring the arrangement and care of the documents. However, in 1590, part of the documentation was still stored in the upper corridor and in the sacristy. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the volume of the archive's documentation grew exponentially and generated the need to undertake a new arrangement and classification, which is still in place today.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The cathedral chapter of Palencia has its origin in 1035 with the restoration of the Diocese by Sancho el Mayor. In the Cathedral Archive three privileges that confirm the restoration of the Bishopric after the repopulation of the area are preserved (1035 and 1059). Several bulls approve and specify the previous royal privileges and donations (1125). The Bishop and the cathedral chapter lived together and jointly administered their assets but soon separated. The cathedral chapter had to be made up of 60 canons and 12 “racioneros.” Despite the agreement between the Bishop and the cathedral chapter not to exceed that number, Pope Honorius III authorized them to raise the number to 80 (1223 and 1225). It is important to note the charitable activities carried out by the cathedral chapter from the twelfth century in the San Antolin Hospital, and Alfonso VIII and Bishop Tello established the first Spanish university in Palencia in 1212.
- Access points: locations:
- Baltanás
- Castile
- Frómista
- Fuensaldaña
- Herrera de Pisuerga
- Palencia
- Spain
- Torremormojón
- Vertavillo
- 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:
- Two catalogues of the cathedral chapter minutes (1413-1467 and 1468-1500) 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; May 2020
