archbishop

Papal Documents on the Monopoly on Shells in Santiago

amelia.kennedy

About the Texts

If you travel to Santiago de Compostela today, you will have ample opportunity to purchase a scallop-shaped souvenir. These shells have long been a symbol of St. James, and as the following four documents show, they were sometimes a source of concern for the church of Compostela, which aimed to regulate the production and sale of shells in various ways.

As indicated by our other series of shell-related texts (Documents on the Sale of Shells to Pilgrims), the Compostelan church sought to control the sale of shell-shaped badges to pilgrims within the city. These items, often made from lead or tin, constituted an important source of revenue for the church.

In the documents translated here, the main concern is instead with preventing the manufacture and sale of these items outside of Santiago de Compostela. While the archbishop of Santiago could likely exercise effective control over shell sales within his diocese (and to a lesser extent, the archdiocese), the Camino stretched over a vast amount of territory, including large swaths of the archdiocese of Toledo, the diocese of Pamplona, and the diocese of León. To clamp down on sales in these areas, the archbishop of Compostela needed assistance from the pope.

Text #1 is a letter from Pope Alexander IV and dates to 1259. Alexander denounces the manufacture and sale of counterfeit shell badges (produced outside of Santiago) and places the bishop of Lugo (about 100 km from Santiago) in charge of ensuring that his commands are carried out.

Illicit shell badges remained a problem in 1266, as we can see from Text #2, a letter from Pope Clement IV on the same problem. Clement here threatens not only the people making and selling counterfeits, but also the pilgrims who bought and wore them.

Text #3, written by Pope Gregory X in 1272, shows that counterfeit scallop shell badges remained an ongoing issue.

In 1327 [Text #4], the bishop of Lugo, Juan Martínez, was commissioned by Pope John XXII to enforce the prohibition on forging and selling counterfeits outlined in Pope Alexander IV’s earlier letter, which he quoted in full and upon which he then elaborated.

All four of these documents are preserved in Tumbo B, a cartulary compiled during the 1320s under the archbishop Berengar of Landorra and the treasurer Aymeric of Anteaic. Bishop Juan Martínez’s letter [Text #4] shows a renewed interest in dealing with longstanding problems and reviving previous papal directives and privileges that had perhaps lapsed.

Translation: Text #1

21 January 1259.

Bishop Alexander, servant of the servants of God, sends greetings and apostolic blessings to the venerable brothers, the archbishops and bishops constituted throughout Spain and Gascony.

The Apostolic See ought to oppose the presumptions of evil ones and to restrain their excesses with pastoral solicitude. Indeed, it has come to my attention from my venerable brother the archbishop of Compostela that certain ones in Spain and Gascony, detained by the detestable ardor of inflamed greed, presume with their own temerity to forge and sell counterfeit insignia of St. James. Therefore, wishing to inhibit these presumptuous people by your zeal, we firmly order your brotherhood by apostolic letter, in the virtue of obedience, that each of you in your cities and dioceses, by you or by others, compel those presumptuous ones of this sort to desist from such presumption, with an advance warning, through the ecclesiastical censure without need for appeal. In any case, I enjoin my venerable brother the bishop of Lugo with my letter that he, himself or through others, pursue those who contradict this apostolic mandate for punishment by my authority, curbing them with appeal postponed, notwithstanding any indulgence through which the execution of my mandate regarding this matter should be impeded or hindered in any way.

Given in Anagni, 12th Kalends of February, in the 5th year of my pontificate.

Translation: Text #2

1 January 1266.

Bishop Clement, servant of the servants of God, sends greetings and apostolic blessings to his venerable brother, the archbishop of Compostela.

It has been brought to my attention by my beloved sons, the chapter of Compostela, that although [the insignia of St. James] have long been made according to ancient and approved and hitherto peacefully observed custom, and it should be obtained that the insignia of St. James, which are called conche [i.e. scallop shells] in the common tongue, be made by that authority; and although the greater part of their [the chapter’s] income consists in that which they receive and have been accustomed to receive for a long time; nevertheless certain sons of iniquity presume by their own temerity to make or mint false and counterfeit forgeries of the insignia of St. James, to the peril of their souls and causing no little damage and grievance to the chapter [of Compostela]. As such, I order your fraternity by apostolic writ that you, by my authority, strictly prohibit under the penalty of indefinite anathema all pilgrims visiting the threshold of St. James from presuming to buy or wear any false insignia of this sort.

Given in Vézère, Kalends of January in the third year of my pontificate.

Translation: Text #3

7 March 1272.

Bishop Gregory, servant of the servants of God, sends greetings and apostolic blessings to his beloved sons the bishop-elect and chapter of Compostela.

You have brought to me the symbols of St. James, which are called conchee [i.e. scallop shells] in the common tongue, the likes of which have been made in the city of Compostela since time immemorial. Therefore, inclining to your supplications, I strictly prohibit by the authority of those present that scallops of this sort be made anywhere but in the aforesaid city.

Therefore, let no one infringe upon this page of my prohibition or contradict it with reckless abandon. But if anyone should dare to try, he should know himself to have incurred the indignation of God Almighty and his apostles, Saints Peter and Paul.

Given in Orvieto, Nones of March, in the first year of my pontificate.

Translation: Text #4

24 May 1327.

Juan, Bishop of Lugo and delegated by the Apostolic See regarding the matters described below, sends greetings to the reverend fathers in Christ, the archbishops and bishops of Spain and Gascony to whom the present letter is addressed.

And you should firmly and humbly obey my commands, or rather, the apostolic commands, namely the letter which I received from Pope Alexander IV of happy memory, with his authentic bulla hanging from a hemp cord, which was presented to me by the archbishop [Berengar of Landorra] and chapter of Compostela; the tenor and contents of the letter are the following:

[Text #1: letter from Pope Alexander IV in 1259].

The aforesaid archbishop and chapter produced and showed this to me, and they complained that some people in your cities and dioceses, detained by detestable greed and burning with the zeal of avarice, mint, make, and sell fake symbols of St. James, which are called conche in the common tongue of Galicia, to pilgrims going to Santiago or returning from the pilgrimage–with considerable damage and harm to the church of Compostela. On account of which, I was asked by the archbishop and chapter to proceed against the people making and selling such items. Wishing to obey the apostolic mandate as I am held to do, I therefore ask each of you and your people, by the apostolic authority which I discharge, and in the virtue of holy obedience. And I order you–you yourselves or others–to prohibit this practice within your cities and dioceses lest from now on anyone presume to coin, make, or sell fake symbols of St. James. And if anyone does so, you should proceed against them with ecclesiastical censure, not to mention other legal remedies. Moreover, I, with apostolic authority, warn those presuming to do such a thing once, twice, and a third time, giving them a period of 15 days to cease the aforesaid activities. But if they do not desist, even after having been warned three times, I will carry out a sentence of excommunication against them as I have written here. I wish that you cause this sentence of excommunication to be solemnly publicized in your churches and dioceses on Sundays and feast days. As a sign of faith and testimony whereof, I secure this letter by affixing my seal.

Given in Compostela, 23rd day of the month of May, in the year of our Lord 1327, in the presence of the venerable men Master Juan, Judge; Martín Bernardez, Cardinal; Aymeric of Anteiac, Treasurer; Fernando Martínez, Canon; members of the church of Compostela; witnesses, specially summoned and called regarding the above.

I, Alfonso Yañez, sworn public notary of Compostela, saw, held, and read the letter of the Pope Alexander IV, and at the order of the aforesaid reverend father the bishop of Lugo, I subscribe and sign with my usual sign as a witness of the above.

References

Text #1

López Ferreiro, Antonio. Historia de la Santa A.M. Iglesia de Santiago de Compostela. Vol. 5. Santiago: Imp. y Enc. del Seminario Conciliar Central, 1902. Appendix: Document #33.

Text #2

González Balasch, María Teresa, ed. Tumbo B de la Catedral de Santiago. Santiago de Compostela: Edicios do Castro, 2004. Document #331.

Text #3

González Balasch, María Teresa, ed. Tumbo B de la Catedral de Santiago. Santiago de Compostela: Edicios do Castro, 2004. Document #333.

López Ferreiro, Antonio. Historia de la Santa A.M. Iglesia de Santiago de Compostela. Vol. 5. Santiago: Imp. y Enc. del Seminario Conciliar Central, 1902. Appendix: Document #39 [incomplete].

Text #4

González Balasch, María Teresa, ed. Tumbo B de la Catedral de Santiago. Santiago de Compostela: Edicios do Castro, 2004. Document #229.

Documents on the Sale of Shells to Pilgrims

amelia.kennedy

About the Texts

The first document [Text #1] records an agreement forged in 1200 between Pedro Suárez de Deza, the Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela, and the townspeople who held licenses to sell scallop shells to pilgrims. It is most likely that the shells discussed here are not natural shells, but rather shell-shaped badges made of lead, tin, or other materials. The text comes down to us in Tumbo C, compiled during the 1320s under the episcopacy of Berengar of Landorra.

The scallop shell is a well-known symbol of the Camino de Santiago, dating back at least to the 12th century. Shells are mentioned in various medieval texts, including the Liber Sancti Jacobi. Pilgrims might buy a shell as a souvenir, and some seem to have believed in their miraculous powers of healing and defense.

The second document translated here [Text #2] represents a sequel of sorts to the first document. Dating to 1230 and promulgated by the Archbishop Bernardo II, it again delineates rules and guidelines for shell vendors, outlining the fees they owed to the Church and discussing how ownership of a license to sell shells could be lawfully transferred. This text is also included in Tumbo C.

What do these documents tell us about the relationships among the archbishop of Santiago, the townspeople, and the flow of pilgrims? What can we learn about the economy of pilgrimage?

Image of a 15th-century pilgrim's badge in the shape of a scallop shell.

This 15th-century pilgrim’s badge is made of lead.

Translation: Text #1

Pedro, by the esteem of God Archbishop of the Holy Church of Compostela, sends greetings in the Lord to my beloved sons in Christ, namely to the citizens who hold the right to sell shells.

I want it to be known that it pleases me and that I have decreed that there should be no more than 100 licenses to sell shells, and that no more than this number should be added, neither by me nor by you. And let me have 25 out of those 100 licenses, in addition to three others which I had there previously. Out of these 28 licenses, let me do as I wish. But you may have 62 licenses, and you should give me as tribute each year one morabetino for each license from the pilgrimage season between Easter and Pentecost, and half a morabetino for the autumnal pilgrimage season from the feast of St. Michael until the feast of St. Martin. For this rent, you may hold them from me for 30 years.

If, however, within this time you wish to raise a question or make a case against me regarding these rights, it should not be an annoyance to me, but the matter should be treated amicably by both parties without scandal and violence or undue contention, and it should be adjudicated by suitable judges who are agreeable to both parties. If, by chance, you win the suit, I shall not require the aforesaid income from your licenses until those 30 years are complete. But if I win against you in this case, nevertheless I will not demand anything from you for those 30 years beyond the morabetino and a half for each license, just as I have said. However, after the end of the aforesaid period of time, I will do with each shell license what I please, without any contradiction from you.

If one of you or your heirs wishes to give up the license(s) which you have within this time frame, I will receive the license(s), thereafter doing with them what I please, and I will not require from you or your heirs anything beyond the aforementioned payment.

Also, it is provided that this period of 30 years should be able to generate no prejudice by reason of time for either party.

Moreover, it is decreed that if within this 30-year span you or your heirs do not raise a question regarding the licenses with me or my successors, so that the case is decided by a legal judgment, afterwards it will not be permitted to you or your heirs, or to me or my successors, to press a legal claim regarding this in any way whatsoever. But I or my successors have free power over all of the shell licenses, apart from any complaint that might be brought to me.

Also, you are held by oath that you should faithfully exercise the ministry of the shells in a manner useful to me and my Church by serving pilgrims honestly. And if there is anything to be corrected or emended, it will be up to the discretion of my procurators to whom I have committed this ministry. It should be emended competently and efficiently according to the conventions and agreements which you have placed with my vicar. And all these things, just as they have been determined above, should be observed faithfully between myself or my successors and you and your successors without change. And if either party tries to act contrary to this, with reckless abandon, that party should pay 3000 morabetinos to the other party. Nevertheless, this writing should stand by its own strength.

Done in Compostela, 12th Kalends of March.

In era 1238 [= 1200 CE].

I, Pedro, Archbishop of Compostela, confirm.
I, Martin, the Dean, confirm.
I, Adam, Archdeacon of Compostela, confirm.
Don Raymond, at that time Justice of Compostela, confirms.
Miguel Díaz, at that time Majordomo of Compostela, confirms.
Pedro Fernández confirms.
Don Viviano Bernadez confirms.
Don Gayo confirms.
Juan Gascón confirms.
Pedro Martínez de Civitate confirms.
Don Martín Pérez de Campo confirms.
I, Lope Arias, notary of Compostela [drew up this document].

Translation: Text #2

Since life is brief and memory is fragile, and the deeds of past or present are not allowed to be perpetuated, thus deeds are committed to the life of letters, so that they live in a certain way an eternal life. Therefore, let it be known both to the present parties, as well as to posterity, that these agreements and statutes made between Bernardo, Archbishop of the Church of Compostela on one side, and the citizens of Compostela who have licenses to sell shells on the other, are to be observed without violation in perpetuity.

There should not be more than 100 licenses to sell shells, of which the archbishop has 28 licenses, and he may do with them as he wishes. But the citizens have 62 licenses from which they must give the archbishop as rent, in recognition of his lordship, each year from each license 14 and a half solidi in the money current at that time in the city of Compostela. And ten solidi should be paid from the pilgrimage between Easter and Pentecost, and the other four solidi and a half should be paid from the pilgrimage between the feast of St. Michael and the feast of St. Martin. But the aforesaid citizens have and hold the aforesaid 62 licenses from the hand and grant of the archbishop of Compostela.

Nevertheless, by law, they have the right to hand them down to their heirs in perpetuity, or to give them away or sell them. However, it is not permitted to the aforesaid citizens or their successors in perpetuity that they–regardless of the title or manner in which they obtained them–sell or give any of the 62 licenses to any cleric except those of the Church of Compostela. And if they wish to give alms from any of the licenses, in part or in whole, or provide for an anniversary [i.e. pay for mass to be said on the anniversary of a person’s death], they or their successors may only do so in the Church of Compostela. But the sale or donation which is not for alms can be made within the Church of Compostela so long as in no way or manner any of these licenses or any right in them is transferred to any cleric except the Church of Compostela.

And if anyone causes a transference of ownership to be done against this comprehensive statute, then this transference is ipso iure and ipso facto null. And if, by chance…[The edited text leaves off here; this is possibly meant as a reference to the sentence beginning “If, by chance” in Text #1 above.]

And if anyone acts against this statute, he should pay 1000 morabetinos, with this statute nevertheless remaining valid. The document was made 8th Kalends of February in the archbishop’s palace, era 1268 [= 1230 CE]. Those present were the following:

I, Bernardo, by the mercy of God Archbishop of Compostela, confirm.
I, Juan, Dean of Compostela, confirm.
I, B., cantor of Compostela, confirm.
I, Juan Raimundez, Archdeacon of Compostela, confirm.
I, Martín Pérez, Canon and Cardinal-Elect, confirm.
I, Juan Cresconio, Archdeacon of Nendos, confirm.
I, Sancho Pérez, Judge of Compostela, confirm.
I, Domingo Díaz, Cardinal, confirm.
Martín Pérez of Tudela and Pelayo García, Justices.
Juan Martínez Xarpa.
Julian Yañez.
Abril Sebastianez.
Fernando Pectavinus.
Pedro Martínez de Campo.
Guillermo Yañez.
Juan Díaz de Moneta Nona.
Juan Fernandez Rapatus.
Arias Pérez Pauquitinus.
Fernando Pelaez de Arenis.
Pedro Raimundez.
Bernaldo Romanez, godfather of Martín.
Juan Pérez Curutana.
Domingo Martínez.
Pelayo de Valouta.
Juan de Saon.
Pedro Arias the Shell-Vendor.
I, Martín Yañez, sworn notary of the Council of Compostela, wrote this document.

References

López Ferreiro, Antonio. Historia de la Santa A.M. Iglesia de Santiago de Compostela. Vol. 5. Santiago: Imp. y Enc. del Seminario Conciliar Central, 1902. Appendix: Documents #5 and #17.

Diego Gelmírez (c. 1065-1140)

amelia.kennedy

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.

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.