Diego Gelmírez was the first archbishop of Santiago de Compostela and played a major role in the development of the town during the twelfth century.
Timeline
c. 1065: Birth of Gelmírez.
1094-1095: Accompanied Raymond of Burgundy, the ruler of Galicia, on his campaign against Lisbon.
21 April 1101: Consecrated Bishop of Santiago.
1102: Brought the bodies of Saints Susana and Fructuoso from Braga to Santiago.
1113 and 1133: Issued decrees for the protection of the Galician coast from Almoravid pirates.
1120: Became Archbishop of Santiago.
1121: Briefly imprisoned by Queen Urraca.
Late 1139 or early 1140: Death of Gelmírez.
Biography
Gelmírez was probably born in the mid-1060s. His father was a nobleman who managed church lands. In 1069, when Gelmírez was probably still a child, noble relatives killed the then bishop of Santiago de Compostela. Much later, King Alfonso VI deposed Bishop Diego Peláez. The precise role of Gelmírez’s father in these affairs is not known, but these events likely affected Gelmírez. According to the Historia Compostelana, Gelmírez avoided staying in palaces in Iria built by Bishop Peláez because they brought to mind Peláez’s bad fortune.
Gelmírez received his education at a cathedral school. By 1093, he was a church official in Santiago and also an official in the court of Raymond of Burgundy, the ruler of Galicia. In the following two years, he accompanied Raymond on a military expedition against Muslim-ruled Lisbon.
In 1095, Pope Urban II issued a bull transferring the seat of the diocese from Iria to Santiago, under the leadership of the bishop Dalmatius. After Dalmatius’ death later that year, there was a delay in naming a new bishop. Gelmírez was finally consecrated as bishop on 21 April 1101. He then traveled to Toledo to see King Alfonso, and to Braga, apparently with the intention of visiting churches that were part of his diocese. He did more than visit, as he brought a large number of relics from Braga back to Santiago as booty. His return to Santiago was rapid: Among the relics were the remains of Saints Susana and Fructuoso, which the inhabitants of Braga believed had been robbed.
Pope Calixtus II raised Gelmírez and his see to archiepiscopal rank in 1120.
As bishop and archbishop, Gelmírez played a major role in public affairs. Within the diocese, he dictated rules, collected taxes, administered justice, and led the army. To defend the coast against Almoravid pirates, he armed ships piloted by experts brought from Arles, Genoa, and Pisa. He insistently requested and finally obtained the privilege of minting coins.
Gelmírez’s activities were not without opposition. Rebellions broke out in Santiago in 1116 and 1136. At one point, Queen Urraca imprisoned Gelmírez, though according to one source, Gelmírez had enough support that he was only in prison for days. When the queen died, Gelmírez went to meet Alfonso VII, the new king. Relations with Alfonso, however, were cold and tense. Gelmírez saw himself obliged to provide the king with significant amounts of money. Maintaining–and expanding–the privileges of the diocese required sacrifice.
We know little more about Gelmírez’s death than about his birth. In 1139, he was invited to attend the Second Lateran Council and confirmed diplomas until June of that year. By a year later–in June of 1140–a new archbishop had been elected.
References & Further Reading
Primary Sources
Falque, Emma, ed. and trans. Historia Compostelana. Madrid: Ediciones Akal, 1994.
Secondary Works
Fletcher, Richard. St. James’s Catapult: The Life and Times of Diego Gelmírez of Santiago de Compostela. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1984.
Portela Silva, Ermelindo. “Diego de Gelmírez.” Real Academia de la Historia.
