Publisher's Synopsis
This book concerns Catalonia, the north-eastern part of the Iberian peninsula, during the Middle Ages. Centered around the great port city of Barcelona, Catalonia formed the richest and culturally most advanced part of what became the kingdom of Aragon, and extended its commercial and political power throughout the Mediterranean. Two themes in particular are emphasized: the role of the Catalan church in its society, and the condition of the peasantry, especially with respect to serfdom. Questions of episcopal power in relation to monasteries, urban society and the state are discussed in the first eight articles. The remainder consider the reasons for peasant servitude in a region that had previously enjoyed a free system of land tenure. In addition, the essays aim to compare the experience of Catalonia with the more widely-studied realms of northern Europe and with the other Spanish kingdoms.
