The main focus at the 5th International Medieval Meeting in Lleida, will be on space, power and culture in Medieval Iberia.
The 5th International Medieval Meeting in Lleida takes place in June just before Leeds. Organised by the CMSRG it succeeds in creating an important opportunity for medieval historians, art historians, filologists and archaeologists; many are focusing on the history of medieval Iberia, but the aim is obviously to to engage with the rest of Europe while at the same time develop an interdisciplinary forum. .
The meeting has no overarching theme as in Leeds, but there is a distinct flavour of presentations focusing on the archaeology of medieval archaeology and art history and with a marked overweight of presentations focusing on medieval Iberia.
For instance there are seven lectures and six sessions in Medieval Archaeology and only four papers in Literature and Drama-theatre. Most of the papers will be presented in Spanish, but some in English.
The Cortes in Barcelona and the Parliament in England
The key-note lecture, presented by Prof. Peter A. Linehan from St. John’s College-Cambridge University, however, gives a hint of what have the attention in Catalonia these days. His title is: The intellectual in politics in the year of Magna Carta. Peter Linehan is a well-known specialist on the history of the medieval Church in Spain and Portugal and has published extensively in this field (and wider Iberian history). The point to be argued is presumably – there is no abstract on the website – that it pays to explore the history of the politics in 13th century Catalonia (and Castile) with that of England in a comparative perspective.
It is well-known that Catalonia often boasts of being home to the first parliament in Europe, as witnessed by the process surrounding the promulgation of the first Catalan legal code, the ‘Usatges de Barcelona’ from the 11th century. It is also well-known that this “historical fact” is widely used in present-day politics inside Catalonia as well as by the “man in the street” (easy to verify if you interview Catalonians employed in the heritage- or tourism business). However, it is of course also a delightfully convenient myth. Regional laws were collected and codified in the 11th – 13th centuries in a wide variety of institutional settings peopled by royal, baronial and clerical representatives and across the whole of Europe. Further, most of these collections of laws were the results of long processes of codification (as is the case with the ‘Utsages’, but perhaps not the Magna Carta, which is a somewhat different legal instrument.)
Just to give an example: There is no doubt that there existed a tradition for a yearly meeting at the ‘Thingvallir’ in Iceland each year; nor that there was an oral law-tradition, which was partly recited at the meeting each year; nor that this meeting had the authority to pass laws. For instance the acceptance of Christianity as the official religion in Iceland was famously passed as ‘law’ around the year 1000 (the so-called kristnitaka, literally, “the taking of Christianity”). Later in the 12th century the Icelandic Laws were written down. They were in use until 1262 – 64 when Iceland was taken over by the Norwegian crown. In the same way the ‘Utsages’ were obviously the result of an equally long process finalized in 1251, when the different regional laws of Gerona, Lleida, Tortosa, Valencia and Mallorca were compiled, redacted and codified by Jaume I together with the Cortes de Barcelona (the Parliament in Barcelona). This parliament from 1251 was obviously a little earlier than the one convened by Simon de Montfort in 1265 (which is generally considered the first English Parliament). However, it is somewhat later than 1241, when the Danish king together with a host of local representatives from all over the country adopted the Laws of Jutland (‘Jyske Lov’) at a parliament in Viborg. Specific for all these cases of lawmaking in the 12th and 13th centuries were of course the role of the literati – the intellectuals, who penned the laws.
We must believe, deduced from the title of his lecture, that this might be what prof. Linehart is going to speak about; perhaps inspiring the many intellectuals present to reflect upon their role in the current processes of modern law-making and nation-building in 21st century Europe
Archaeology
Main focus, however, it naturally on the very important field of medieval archaeology in present-day Spain. With presentations ranging from Portugal to Sardinia, this will perhaps be the real treat. Of special interest are papers presenting and discussing excavations and studies from Portugal, thus opening up for a less parochial approach in a region historically, culturally and linguistically reaching across modern national borders (wider Galicia). A whole session is thus devoted to the city of Braga.
Consolidated Medieval Studies Research Group
CMSRG stands for ‘Consolidated Medieval Studies Research Group’ – Grup de Recerca Consolidat en Estudis Medievals “Espai, Poder i Cultura” – at the University of Lleida.
It is an interdisciplinary research groupcomprising medievalists, art-, music- and literary historians, filologists, archaeologists, archivists, etc.. They stem from various universities, but the activities of the group is articulated and coordinated from the University of Lleida. The group came into being in 2000. Apart from organizing the yearly meeting in Lleida it also publishes a very well edited yearbook, the Imago Temporis and several other series of publications, it also organizes summer-courses and interdisciplinary programs aiming for degrees in Medieval Studies, offering an interesting opportunity for students seeking a medieval degree in Iberian Medieval History. (Some working knowledge of not only Spanish but also Catalan should probably be recommended.)
‘Space, power and culture’ has been adopted as specific area of interest in order to enrich the interdisciplinary effort of researchers involved in the group.
REGISTRATION:
International Medieval Meeting Lleida
The definitive programme will be available on 30.04.2015