Making Agreements in Medieval Catalonia: Power, Order, and the Written Word, 1000-1200

Description

This study examines the role of written agreements in eleventh- and twelfth-century Catalonia, and how they determined the social and political order. By tracing the fate of these agreements - or convenientiae - from their first appearance to the late twelfth century, it is possible to demonstrate the remarkable stability of the fluid structures which they engendered in what is generally thought of as 'feudal society'. The process of documentary change reveals the true nature and pace of the 'transformation of the year 1000'. Analysis of the convenientia as an instrument of power and its interaction with oral practices contributes to a deeper understanding of the role of the written word in medieval societies. Finally, a broad historiographical context establishes the significance of this study of Catalonia for a more general appreciation of the medieval Mediterranean world.

'... a useful overview of the growth of government through the study of contractual documents and the written word from the 10th through 12th centuries in Catalonia ... valuable and highly recommended study for upper-division undergraduate collections and above.' Choice 'This book is a welcome addition to Catalan and Iberian studies; with its thorough and unimpeachable archival grounding, Making Agreements will undoubtedly provide Kosto and other historians with a solid foundation on which to base broader studies relating to the development of medieval juridical and administrative regimes both in medieval Catalonia and elsewhere Latin Christendom.' Brian A. Catlos, The Medieval Review '... this will be an invaluable reference work for all medieval Hispanists.' Bulletin of Hispanic Studies '... a timely contribution to the ongoing debate concerning the so-called 'transformation of the year 1000' in western Europe as a whole.' History 'This is a major contribution to Catalan medieval history and to the wider issues of social and legal change in Western Europe in this period.' English Historical Review '... Kosto's arguments are both water-tight and convincing. ... weighty and magisterial. This is a major contribution to Catalan medieval history and to the wider issues of social and legal change in Western Europe in this period.' Oxford Academic Journals