Primary Sources

Miracle of St. Ildefonsus

amelia.kennedy

About the Text

This thirteenth-century miracle story is excerpted from a longer text describing the discovery of Ildefonsus’ relics in Zamora and their translation to a shrine.

Ildefonsus was born in Visigothic Spain c. 607 and served as archbishop of Toledo from 657 until his death in 667. He is best known for his vision of the Virgin Mary, who reportedly appeared to him and gave him a chasuble as a reward for his devotion to her.

This miracle story mentions a number of shrines and pilgrimage sites (in Lisbon, Braga, Santiago de Compostela, and Zamora) and captures a sense of rivalry among them–How did pilgrims choose where to visit? Which shrine provided the most effective healing miracles?

Translation

A certain man from Lugo, by the name of Pedro Dominguez, had suffered blindness of the eyes for two years. When he came to visit the shrine of the blessed Vincent [in Lisbon] to recover his health, the most holy Ildefonsus appeared to him there dressed in woolen pontificals, saying about himself that he was small and stocky in stature, but good-enough looking all the same. And [Ildefonsus] said that if [Pedro] wanted to be cured, he should go to Zamora where his [Ildefonsus’] relics were going to be revealed. However, that man [Pedro] did not acquiesce; rather, he went to Braga for another attempt at recovering his health under the auspices of the holy Gerard, and then he visited the shrine of the most holy apostle St. James [in Santiago de Compostela].

But the most holy Ildefonsus appeared to him in these places with the same advice, asserting that he would never receive good health until he visited the shrine of St. Peter in Zamora where his relics were going to be revealed. So, [Pedro] acquiesced to the vision and came to Zamora three days after the discovery of the relics of the most holy Ildefonsus. Although they [i.e. the people at Zamora] worked to dislodge his eyes, dry and shut up as if with glue, they could in no way do so. But they applied the most holy relics to the eyes of the blind man and he called out and fell to the ground as if dead – almost three hundred men were present and saw the above. And then as if dead or possessed by a demon, he lay on the ground for a long time. Then, in response to the voice of the most blessed Ildefonsus awakening him, as he himself asserted, he rose up with his eyesight restored. When he was asked why he cried out when he fell, he responded, ‘It seemed to me that it was as if I had been hit by a spear in the middle of the head and I fell from the magnitude of that blow.’ But at the voice of the most blessed Ildefonsus, as we said before, he rose.

References

Fita, Fidel. “Traslación é invención del cuerpo de San Ildefonso. Reseña histórica por Gil de Zamora.” Madrid, 26 May 1884. Transcription from the following manuscript: Biblioteca nacional; códice I, 247; fol. 26 vuelto-32 recto. Available online here.

Cistercian General Chapter Statutes

amelia.kennedy

Overview

The Cistercian monastic order was established in France and soon spread throughout medieval Europe. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) is the best-known Cistercian abbot, famous for propagating the Order’s particular brand of austere and mystical piety. Beginning in the 1130s, the Cistercians established a presence on the Iberian peninsula.

Abbots from across the Order met annually at Cîteaux for General Chapter meetings to discuss important matters, introduce new rules and regulations, and handle disciplinary issues. Initially, these meetings included only the abbots of Cîteaux, La Ferté, Pontigny, Morimund, and Clairvaux, but as the Cistercian Order expanded, so did General Chapter attendance. Abbots who lived near Cîteaux were expected to attend every year, while those who lived further away were obliged to attend less often (but still regularly). Like many pilgrims on the Camino, Galician abbots traveled long distances through France and northern Spain and depended on hospitality and infrastructure along their routes–abbots generally stopped in at other Cistercian monasteries to spend the night.

Cistercian Monasteries in Galicia

A map showing the locations and distribution of Cistercian monasteries in Galicia: 14 in total. Monfero, Meira, and Sobrado are the furthest north. Acibeiro and Sobrado are close to Santiago de Compostela. Oia is on the coast. A Franqueira, Melón, San Clodio, Oseira, Ferreira de Pantón, Montederramo, and Xunqueira de Espadañedo are clustered close together in southern Galicia, near the modern border with Portugal.

General Chapter meetings resulted in the production of statutes, which communicated issues that had been discussed and decisions that had been made. Many General Chapter statutes refer or are relevant to Cistercian monasteries in Galicia.

Translation: General Chapter Statutes on Galician Monasteries

1190, Statute #67/#48: “The abbot of Armenteira, who first neglected to come to Clairvaux when summoned, and then contemptuously refused to come to the General Chapter, is suspended from the office of the abbacy until he comes to Clairvaux, where he will spend six days in levi culpa [in light punishment], one of which he will fast on bread and water, and until he presents himself at the next Chapter, where he will explain his reasons for all this.”

Clairvaux, one of the oldest and most famous Cistercian houses, was the “mother house” of Armenteira, meaning that it had been responsible for founding Armenteira as a Cistercian monastery.

1191, Statute #4: “Concerning the abbots of Armenteira and La Espina, who abandoned their abbeys without the consent of the Father Abbot, and do not want to return to his command and will: This case is committed to the abbot of Clairvaux, who should visit those regions, and he should correct and castigate as he sees expedient, with the help and counsel of his fellow abbots.”

Armenteira is in Galicia, while La Espina is in Castile and León. The “Father Abbot” refers to the abbot of the mother house, in this case, Clairvaux.

1191, Statute #11: “Concerning the monk of Xunqueira [Junqueira], who is said to have his own horses and various other items: this is committed to the abbots of Escaledieu and Boulbonne. By the authority of the Chapter, they should correct and castigate as they see expedient once they have diligently investigated the truth of the matter. And the money which he offered to his own abbot should be returned to its rightful owner. If it turns out that he acquired this money by evil means, then he should receive the penalty for property ownership and theft.”

Cistercian monks were forbidden from owning personal property (and of course from stealing); this monk of Junqueira has exhibited egregious behavior.

1196, Statute #27: “Because of his inhumane treatment of a Spanish abbot, who spent the night outside the entrance of his monastery, the abbot of Bourras should spend three days in levi culpa, one of which fasting on bread and water, and forty days suspended from his office.”

Abbots from Galicia had a long way to travel before arriving at Cîteaux. They relied on the hospitality of Cistercian monasteries along the way, such as Bourras Abbey, which would have been on the route commonly taken by abbots from Spain. Here, the abbot of Bourras in France is disciplined for his extremely poor treatment of an unnamed Spanish abbot.

1197, Statute #19: “The abbot of Aubepierres [in the Limoges diocese, France], who provided less-than-charitable hospitality for abbots traveling to the Chapter, should spend three days in levi culpa, one of which fasting on bread and water.”

Aubepierres Abbey also lay along the route often taken by abbots from western Spain. This statute chastises the abbot of Aubepierres for insufficient hospitality.

1207, Statute #31: “The petition of the abbot of Sobrado to transfer the abbey of Val de Dios to a better location will be heeded.”

1208, Statute #17: “The abbot of Xunqueira, who did not come to the Chapter last year, and who was ordered to attend this year but refused, shall observe the penalty prescribed for this; if he does not present himself at Cîteaux by Easter, then he should understand that he is deposed. The abbot of Melón should give him notice of this.”

1213, Statute #41: “Concerning the abbot of Oia, who has become ill and remained behind on the way [to the General Chapter meeting], and is said to be weighed down by old age: This case is committed to the abbot of Clairvaux.”

1257, Statute #40: “The abbot of Sobrado, who did not express sufficient cause for his delay away from the General Chapter, should be suspended from office for six days and nevertheless should present himself at the next General Chapter.”

References

We have translated from Waddell’s edition for the twelfth-century statutes and from Canivez’s editions for later statutes. In some cases, two numbers are given for a statute (e.g. “Statute #67/#48”); the first reflects how the statute is numbered in Canivez, the second how it is numbered in Waddell.

Canivez, Joseph-Marie, ed. Statuta Capitulorum Generalium Ordinis Cisterciensis, 8 vols. Louvain: Bureaux de la Revue, 1933-41. Edition in Latin of Cistercian statutes from 1116 until 1786.

Waddell, Chrysogonus, ed. Twelfth-Century Statutes from the Cistercian General Chapter. Cîteaux: commentarii cistercienses, 2002. Updated Latin edition of twelfth-century statutes with useful English commentary.

Secondary Works

D’Emilio, James. “The Cistercians and the Romanesque Churches of Galicia: Compostela or Clairvaux?” In Perspectives for an Architecture of Solitude: Essays on Cistercians, Art and Architecture in Honour of Peter Fergusson. Edited by Terryl Kinder. Turnhout: Brepols and Cîteaux, 2004. 313-327.

 

Gesta Berengarii (Deeds of Berengar)

amelia.kennedy

About the Text

The Gesta Berengarii is an anonymous account of Berengar of Landorra’s actions during the revolt of the townspeople of Santiago de Compostela. He was archbishop of Compostela from 1317 until 1330; the rebellion occurred from 1318 to 1320, in the wake of his appointment as archbishop.

The text begins with a brief biographical sketch, outlining Berengar’s family antecedents, youth, education, career advancement, and appointment as the Master of the Dominican Order in 1312. Five years later, Pope John XXII informed Berengar of his new appointment as the Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela, a post he was reluctant to take. “Agreeing unwillingly and under compulsion,” as the Gesta informs us, Berengar set out for Spain.

Upon arrival, Berengar met with the various political leaders of Castile, including the young king Alfonso XI and his tutors: his grandmother María de Molina, his grand-uncle Infante Juan, and his uncle Infante Pedro (“Infante” is a Spanish title roughly meaning “Prince,” denoting someone of royal lineage).

Translation: Excerpts from the Gesta Berengarii

He [Berengar] finished this [i.e. speaking with the Infantes Juan and Pedro about an imminent campaign in Granada], and was honored greatly and lavished upon by the Infantes and tutors, especially Don Juan. With his apostolic authority, he had granted dispensation to Don Juan and his consort Dona Maria, as well as to their son Don Juan and his consort Dona Isabel, for their illicitly contracted marriages. He obtained from the aforesaid tutors [Juan and Pedro] letters which he had requested regarding matters touching on his church and especially regarding the lordship of the city of Compostela, which King Fernando, in the time of his predecessors, had judged with a definitive sentence to pertain exclusively to the aforesaid church and archbishop. He then left Zamora, although still sick, towards Galicia and Compostela, his city, and set out on a direct route. He arrived at Melide, a place of his church, which is one day’s journey from Compostela, on the day of St. Martin. He was not yet restored to full health, and he delayed for some days.

In this place, the Infante Felipe came out to meet him with his consort Margarita, promising much in words but doing little in deeds, as the course of events would later demonstrate. With the help and aid of the unfaithful vassals of the church, Alfonso Suárez and the aforesaid Felipe, at that time mayordomo, the citizens of Compostela, imbued with an evil spirit against the church and the archbishop, (and who later would be made contrite by virtue of God and the apostle James), “reared their horns” [Ps. 75:4], completely denying the lordship of the town of St. James to the archbishop and the church.

This traitor Alfonso had the church of St. James under his custody along with its alcazar and the castles of Rocha Forte, Rocha de Padrón, the Torres do Oeste, and Xallas with the promise that he would return them to the archbishop upon arrival. In Melide he returned the aforesaid castles but refused to return the church with the fortress, despite being obligated by a sworn oath.

Description of the following sections: When Berengar arrived in Santiago, he was barred access to the city by its inhabitants. He tried to make deals with Infante Felipe and the townspeople but was unsuccessful, so he excommunicated everybody. When that also did not work, he besieged the town. Berengar eventually gave up on his siege. The townspeople, Alfonso Suárez de Deza, and Infante Felipe offered a deal, which turned out to be a trap:

Various deceitful agreements were made and confirmed by sworn statements and oaths that Alfonso would restore to him the church with its fortress and that the citizens would surrender the gate called la Pena to one of his vassals, through which his people would be able to enter and exit and bring in supplies and weapons as they wished. The man of God, not fully realizing the wickedness of their intention, entered the city and church [i.e. the cathedral of Santiago] with his people and troops on Sunday the 16th of September as permitted by the aforesaid treaty under many other conditions not treated here. He was led by the Infante [Felipe] and Alfonso and received by the citizens with the appearance of reverence and honor.

But once he had entered, they wished to pile evil upon more evil, and they did not wish to hand over the gate to the vassal. Rather, they violated all the established treaties, closed the gates of the city, and totally denied supplies to him and his people. They besieged the pious father and his people in the church night and day and attacked them with various types of weapons. In this fighting many were wounded and even killed, and such was the lack of supplies that many were compelled to eat meat from their horses and other foods to which they were unaccustomed.

The man of God was not disturbed by this in any way, nor was he changed from his constant proposition. Although he could have avoided it, he never wished to accept agreements with negative consequences for himself or damaging to his church. He chose to expose himself and his men to death rather than to lead the church commissioned to him into anything detrimental to its honor. 

Meanwhile, by the will of God and with the help of the virtue of his apostle wishing to offer his hand to his minister, he [Berengar] agreed to a reasonable enough treaty with the Infante [Felipe], Alfonso [Suárez de Deza], and the citizens on the 27th of September (the 12th day of his siege). Since the weather was intemperate, he left the church after the sun had set and, tired and aggrieved, he arrived at the castle of Rocha Forte at a late hour. Then he went to the Rocha de Padrón and remained there for a few days. Then, he betook himself to his town of Noia, resting there and celebrating the first clerical council that he held. At this council, he deprived all clergy both in and outside of the city and also Alfonso and other knights who had obtained rents or benefices from the church. He deprived the adherents of Alfonso and the citizens, public or hidden, of rents and benefices and publicized the deprivations at the synod. He had already dispossessed them before at Bonaval, the convent of the Friars Preacher, while he was there during the aforementioned siege of the city.

Description of the following sections: Berengar received an invitation to visit María de Molina, so he left Galicia. She convinced Infante Felipe to stop supporting the rebellious townspeople of Compostela and to agree to episcopal lordship over the town. Berengar returned to Santiago de Compostela. He, Alfonso Suárez de Deza, and the townspeople agreed on a new deal, which would hand over the town to Berengar. But before the deal became official, the townspeople and Alfonso traveled to the castle of Rocha Forte and tried to add more stipulations to the deal. They were still at the castle when the truce expired:

But the next day, the day on which they were supposed to hand over the town, the truce between the archbishop and the citizens was going to expire unless they turned over the town. The said traitor [Alfonso Suárez de Deza] made his way towards Nendos but, in order to cover up his malice, he went to the pious father at Rocha Forte before he took the road. The holy man was in the chapel of St. Euphemia with his chapter and some of his vassals, having said the mass which he was accustomed to say with great devotion and copious tears. Then the said traitor arrived with many of the council and added many new terms to those which were agreed upon and promised on the previous day, just as he had often done in all the agreements and pacts which had been made between them in the past.

When the man of God heard this, he was very amazed and surprised and said, “As far as I can see, there will never be an end to these types of treaties as long as they are continually changed, despite having been spoken and promised by you yourselves. For yesterday, at a late hour, everything which we asked for was conceded, under a promise and a pact. And unless you fulfill those things which you promised today, the truce which was made between you and us will expire. And since you will neither have completed any of them nor, as seems obvious, do you intend to complete any of them, you will have come here outside of the truce. Leave from this chapel, and I will deliberate with my chapter and my vassals about your new demands.”

When he heard this, a certain knight who was his mayordomo followed [Alfonso] out of the chapel. When he heard and was completely certain that the truce that had been made was expired at that time, and knowing that his father and lord [Berengar] would in no way profit from treaties of this sort, but rather that he was being strung along by the diabolical traitor by vain and utterly false promises and words lacking any fruit at all, he ordered (with the man of God totally ignorant) the gates of the castle to be shut firmly and guarded diligently. He called all the shield-bearers and other men of the household who knew how to use arms, along with those from the field who lived in exile outside the town of St. James and all, both clerical and lay, who had served the aforementioned man of God loyally in the said war and other situations, and those whom the profane man had exiled or caused the deaths of their friends and families. He ordered them to arm themselves quickly and fortify themselves so that the outcome which the aforesaid father and lord could not achieve by smooth words and treaties beneficial only for the said citizens and the traitor, he would be able to obtain with blades, swords, and manly deeds.

Why should I delay more? God neither permitted nor wished him to tolerate the betrayals and malicious acts of the wicked men and vile traitors any longer, and he wished the man of God to obtain rest after many labors tolerated with patience on behalf of the defense of the rights and liberties of his much afflicted and troubled church. For his most virtuous patron the apostle James presented his many fervent prayers, frequent groans, and internal sighs before his golden altar. He also wished for the basilica of the most holy apostle, so long separated and deprived of its spouse and the owed service and office of its minsters, to be released from the excrement of these mockeries imposed by the minister of Satan.

Therefore when the aforesaid men were armed and with the virtue of the blessed apostle directing them in all things, divine justice and revenge fell upon the aforementioned minister of Satan, the traitor Alfonso, and his accomplices.

The end of the story: With their leaders dead, the townspeople at last agreed to a truce. Berengar took control of Santiago de Compostela. He built a tower to fortify the cathedral.

References

Fourteenth-century manuscript containing the Gesta Berengarii, GREDOS (Gestión del Repositorio Documental de la Universidad de Salamanca), Ms. 2658.

Díaz y Díaz, Manuel, et al., ed. and trans. Hechos de Don Berenguel de Landoria, arzobispo de Santiago [Gesta Berengarii]. Santiago de Compostela: University of Santiago de Compostela, 1983. Latin edition with facing translation in Castilian.