Exceptis militibus et sanctis": Restrictions upon Ecclesiastical Ownership o Land in the Foral Legislation of Medieval Castile and Valencia (original) (raw)

Abstract

The late twelfth-century fuero of Cuenca, in discussing family relationships, states that, as matter of principIe, «no one may disinherit his sons». If someone, for example, should decide to enter te religious life, he may retain only a fifth of his personal property. The remainder, and alí of his real property, must as a matter of equity and justice be turned over to his heirs'. While in general, Cuencas municipal law code guarantees to property owners fulí powerover theirholdings, including the right of its disposal, thefuero specifically forbids the granting of any real property to monks orto those who have renounced the world. The rationale is that, because eccíesiastical persons cannot selí property, they should not be perniitted to acquire it 2. Later on, in te section dealing with buying and selling, the fuero stipulates that sales and exchanges of property within the city are permitted, except when monks are involved>. These seemingly minor provisions in medieval property law are significant because they helpus to understand the place that te Church occupied in the society of frontier Spain. On the one hand, and as numerous privileges demonstrate, priests and communities of religious were welcomed into frontier municipalities as settlers, and endowed with lands in the hope that these, by establishing a Christian presence in lands formerly Muslim, would assist in planting

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References (4)

  1. MARTIN, i. L,: Orígenes dela Orden Militarde Santiago (1170-1195), Barcelona, 1974.448- 49 ~277; and IRADIEL MURUCARREN, P.: «Bases económicas del Hospital de Santiago en Cuenca: Lendenciasdeldesarrolloeconómicoy estructuradelapropiedad agraria» Anuario deEstudios Medievales, ¡ 1 (¡98?):? 99. (iONZAI.EZ: Alfons.' VIIL 3: 242, nf 702: MARTIN: S.tntiago, 419, n.0 243. CONZALEZ, i.: Reinado y diplomas de Fernando hL Córdoba, 1986, 3: 53, nf 538. Ibid.. 3: 96, n.0 576.
  2. LS ¡bid,, 3: 436, nY 847. bor examples of such licersses, see GONZALEZ: Fernando hL 2:40. nf 32 (May 23, 1218);
  3. l:62,n,>51 (November30, 1218);3:45,n2532(Augustls, 1234);3:250,n.0701 (August22, 1242). See, lorexample. the fuero of Córdoba (1241) thatexempted the cathedral church of Santa Maria lrom its prohibition against the transfer of land to orders: ibid., 3: 96, n,0 576. Documcntsof 1234 and 1235 show the commanderof Santiagos hospice in Cuenca purcbasing property inside and outside of the town with no secming restriction: IRADIEL: Bases econónticas, 228-29, ni'> 18, 20. February 24, 1174 and November 30, 1180: PAGAROLAS, L.: La Comanda de Tortosa: pn'mer periode (1/48-1213), Tortosa, 1984: 190, n.0 190; 221, nY 53; 243, n.073. ~HUICI: Documentos de Jaime 1, 1: 58-59. nY 22. The principie cited by the king also appears in the Furs de Valencia, 4: 163-64, 4.19.8. ~> LACARRA: Documentos del Ebro, 2: 64-65. n." 386. Cartulario de San Cugat del Vallés. cd. Jose Rius, Barcelona, 1955-57,3:184, n.0 1.013 (May 20, 1157). By (he lasí decade of the twelfth century, Templar leases in Tortosa no longerplace restricdons on the alienation of the Order's property to others, but instead specify periods of 30 or 32 days within which Ihe brethren can reclaim the property for themselves aL the same price. This is (he custom of [utica; forexamples, see PAGAROLAS: Comanda de Tortosa, 280-81, o.0 100(April 6, 1193>; 283. n.0 102(September 15,1 193);298-99,nY 1 13(August5, 1 197);323-24,nY 129(October 15,1208). For general comments on te custom, see BURNS, R. 1.: Medieval Colúnialis,n: Postcrusade Ex- ploitation ofLslamic Valencia (Princeton, 1975), 199-200.
  4. ~> Thus, in entrusting the castíes of Torres and Collartu (he Orderof Calatrava, King Sancho IV