shells – Digital Camino de Santiago

Papal Documents on the Monopoly on Shells in Santiago

July 9, 2020January 19, 2024amelia.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

July 3, 2020May 8, 2022amelia.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?

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.