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Posts from the ‘Medieval Europe’ Category

May 14

st-nicholas-church-montgomery

Gregynog Festival

Gregynog Festival (20-30 June), Wales’ oldest classical music festival, celebrates its 80th Anniversary this year and is themed on Great Britten, celebrating the anniversary of the composer, who visited the festival in 1972. And yes, his music will be heard. However the programme presents a series of late medieval and early modern composers and performers making this festival one of the musical highlights of the summer. Under the artistic director, Dr. Rhian Davies, the finest musicians will perform at the Hall itself (part of the University of Wales) as well as in neighbouring churches .

Making Festival débuts this season are
Academy of St Martin in the Fields with tenor Andrew Kennedy and horn player Timothy Brown
Ricercar Consort of viols from Belgium
Harmonie Universelle

tallis scholars 300x197 Gregynog FestivalOther star soloists include
countertenor Iestyn Davies and lutenist Thomas Dunford (22 June, 7.30pm) performing Dowland
keyboard virtuoso Mahan Esfahani
‘Queen of Harps’ Catrin Finch
Nicholas Daniel appears with the Britten Oboe Quartet (28 June, 7.30pm)
the highly-regarded choral group Tenebrae, directed by Nigel Short, gives the Festival’s closing concert of music by British composers associated with the original Gregynog Choir

Of special note is a concert in the church in Montgomery by The Tallis Scholars. Their programme includes the first modern performance of the Missa O Quam Suavis which may have been composed by the medieval Welsh composer John Lloyd.

Read more about the Gregynog Festival

May 13

Bohemian Crown of Saint Wenceslas

Currently on show in Prague for only ten days, the Bohemian crown was made for the coronation of Charles IV in 1347

The Bohemian crown – the so-called Crown of Saint Wenceslas – has a somewhat curious form due to the setting of the jewels. It consists of a golden headband with a diameter app. 19 – 20 cm and 4.8 cm wide, and divided into four pieces. Each of these pieces is adorned with a curious fleur-de-lis composition, which rises up from the headband. All in all they each measure 12 cm in the height. Fixed to these are four arches in the form of bejewelled bands ending in a hollow cross at the apex, presumably filled with a relic, a thorn from the Crown of Thorns, which was presented to the Queen Elisabeth in 1326 by the French King.

Crown of wenceslas Správa Pražského hradu 300x198 Bohemian Crown of Saint Wenceslas

However, the jewels adorning the crown are the most spectacular part. At the front is an uncut sapphire weighing more than 40 carat. Around it are placed six spinels. Together the ensemble looks like a cross. Corresponding jewels are found on the other four sites. Originally it was adorned with only red and blue jewels. However Charles IV kept elaborating on the design, probably reusing a belt, which was presented to his Queen, Blanche, from her brother, the king of France. In its present – imperial – form it was finished in 1374 – 1378 and carries 19 sapphires, 44 spinels, 1 ruby, 30 emeralds and 20 pearls. Apart from the six magnificent sapphires (belonging to the group of the ten largest in the world), the cross at the apex of the crown holds a small but beautiful cameo with a rendering of the crucifixion. Probably this Byzantine cameo was part of an earlier Bohemian crown – the crown of Ottokar II – which it was definitely designed to emulate. All in all it weighs app. 2.5 kilo. The curious look stems from the way in which the jewels have been set on small protruding postaments. With a background of solid gold the jewels are stopped from being enlightened, which gives the viewer a less than ephemeral experience. On the other hand the massive ostentatious character as seen from afar must have been impressive.

The crown was made to serve two purposes. One was to be used as the crown of the residing king and his dynasty at coronations or other likeminded occasions. If used as such it was to be returned the same day to its regular place of keeping in the Cathedral of St. Vitus, where another purpose was to serve as a reliquary for the thorn, to be kept in the new chapel of Saint Wenceslas (907 -935), which Charles IV had built in the Cathedral of St. Vitus as a parallel to the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris. As such the crown was supposed to be placed on the head of a bust in which the skull of the saint was kept, literally crowning him with a thorn from the Crown of Thorns. In connection with this, the king composed a liturgy for a special annual feast, which was supposed to culminate in showing off the imperial treasury in the centre of Prague, including the crown, thus advertising the protection of the saint of the land, the dynasty and the city of Prague.

from the opening of the chapel of wenceslas 300x176 Bohemian Crown of Saint Wenceslas

Apart from the Crown of Saint Wenceslas, The Bohemian Crown Jewels, include a royal orb and sceptre from the beginning of the 16th century, the coronation vestments of the kings of Bohemia, a gold reliquary cross, and St. Wenceslas’ sword with a blade from the 10th century.

A curious ritual
The ancient Bohemian Royal Insignia are kept under lock in the cathedral of St. Vitus by seven Czech dignitaries – the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, the Prague Archbishop, the Chairman of the House of Deputies, the Chairman of the Senate, the Dean of the Metropolitan Chapter of St. Vitus Cathedral and the Mayor of Prague. According to a tradition from the 18th century all must convene in order to facilitate the opening up of the impenetrable door into the crown chamber found in the chapel of St. Wenceslaus in the St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle. Here the crown has been kept since 1867 apart from short periods, when it was walled away in 1945 or on show.

This happens very seldom. In the course of the twentieth century the coronation jewels have only been exhibited eight-times – in 1929, 1945, 1955, 1958, 1968, 1975, 1978 and 1993. The show this year is occasioned by the election of a new president, Miloš Zeman, but will last only for ten days.  Further it is only about 5000 people, who are allowed into the hallowed hall every day, which means that no more than 50.000 will have the opportunity to see the crown jewels before they are locked away again for at least five years.

To say it mildly, this is a curious ritual in a modern secularised state, where the population by far is one of the most atheist in Europe. According to a Eurobarometer Poll from 2005 nearly a third of the Czechs do not believe believe in any kind of spirit, God or life force. Of the rest only 19% believe in God or consider themselves religious. These results were confirmed by a Gallup Poll in 2012. Sociologists might consider the unveiling and exhibiting of the crown jewels in Prague a kind of civil religion. However, the interplay between the elected politicians and the Catholic dignitaries holding the keys to royal insignia witness to a nation with a slightly muddled identity. Elsewhere in the 21st century such national treasures are continuously exhibited to the delight of art historians and cultural tourists be it in Royal Collections or treasuries of Cathedrals…

About the exhibition at the official website of the Castle of Prague

see a video from the opening of the door in the Chapel of St. Wenceslas

See a photo gallery of the Crown of Wenceslas here

 

READ MORE:

The Czech Coronation Jewels. 
Unknown History – Hidden Messages – Long-lost Symbols
By Jan and Thomas Bonek.
Eminent 2005

ISBN: 978-80-7281-221-9
Autobiography of Charles IV of Luxemburg, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia (Central European Mediaeval Texts)
Edited and translated by Balazs Nagy, Paul W. Knoll and Frank Schaer
Publisher: Central European University Press 1999
ISBN-10: 9639116327
ISBN-13: 978-9639116320

Die Sankt Wenzelskrone im Prager Domschatz und die Frage der Kunstauffassung am Hofe Kaiser Karls IV.
By Karel Otavsky
European University Studies. Series XXVIII, History of art.
Peter Lang 1993
ISBN-10: 3261045167
ISBN-13: 978-3261045164

In Heaven and on Earth: Church Treasure in Late Medieval Bohemia
By Katerina Hornícková
Thesis submitted to Central European University
Department of Medieval Studies, Budapest 2009

 

 

May 10

Dunwich-lepers-chapel

Dunwich 1287

Up until 1286 Dunwich was a thriving port in Suffolk, when two huge storms – The South England flood of February and the flood of Lucia 1287 - swept much of the settlement into the sea and silted up the Dunwich River. At the same time it is estimated that more than 50.000 lost their life in the Netherlands crating the Zuiderzee. Later the storms were followed by a series of new disasters leading to the demise of a city, which in its heyday was on par with London. Apart from a few ruins, tt now lies collapsed between three and ten meters below the surface of the sea.

Originally a Roman coastal fort and a Saxon settlement, Dunwich grew around the turn of the first millennium into a wealthy town. Growth depended on the introduction of new offshore fishing techniques and possibilities plus sea trade and ship-building. Before the Norman Conquest it was only one out of four towns listed as holding a regular market. In 1225 it held 18 ecclesiastical buildings plus a mint, a large guildhall and several large important houses. The population has been estimated at between 3000 and 5000. However the continuing storms pared with the regular silting of the harbour ended up in a reduction of the crown taxes from £108 to £14. Although the decline of the town was temporarily halted in the late 15th and early 16th century, the town de facto turned into a village, when the status of royal habour was transferred to Southwold after 1489.map of Dunwich 1250 2012. 211x300 Dunwich 1287

On land today the remains of the medieval town comprise the gateways and refectory of the Greyfriars monastery, the 12th century leper chapel and a tiny bit of the former churchyard of All Saints.

Muddy waters have until recently made any exploration near impossible. However a new technology, Didson acoustic sonar imaging combined with a detailed survey of all known archaeological data from the site, together with old charts and navigation guides to the coast,  has led to the production of accurate and detailed maps of the layout of the streets and the position of specific buildings as for instance the eight churches.

All this and much more can be ascertained from the final report from team, which surveyed the site for English heritage.

READ MORE:

Read the report:  5883 Dunwich, Suffolk: Mapping and Assessing the inundated medieval town.

A story of the city of Dunwich as well as more information about the project may be found at Dunwich.org

More information about the history of Dunwich can be found at The Dunwich Museum’s website

 

May 7

Villa-di-Castello

Medici Villas

Icomos has favourably recommended the famous Medici Villas and Gardens as a future UNESCO World Heritage Site…

Fourteen villas and gardens from the 15th and 16th century by the family Medici was proposed as a future World Heritage Site in 2006. Recently the application was approved by ICOMOS, which acts as the advisory board for UNESCO, thus paving the way for a final recognition, pending a reworking of the detailed management plan.

The site consists of 14 villas and gardens located in 4 provinces and 9 municipalities built by members of the Medici Dynasty from 1359 to 1624. These 14 have been chosen amongst 36 potential villas. Belonging to the Medici Dynasty were a series of leading figures, the founding father, Cosimo, his son Lorenzo il Magnifico, the Popes Leo X and Clement VII as well as Catherine de ‘Medici, who was queen of France (to name but a few).

Not only dominating the political and economic scene, they were they were extraordinary patrons of the arts and basically responsible for the renaissance.Castello utens 300x192 Medici Villas

According to the proponents the ultimate expression of the Medici power was accomplished in the form of the “garden villa”, a visual representation of the transformation of the medieval feudal (embattled) landscape into a peaceful garden party; as such it is considered the first “suburban” dwellings, pointing towards the present with its ubiquitous sprawling cities of small “villas”.

Toscana con indicazione delle Ville 252x300 Medici Villas

The first Medici villas were the Villa del Trebbio and that at Cafaggiolo; both were originally strong fortified houses built in the 14th century in the Mugello region, the original home of the Medici family. However, in the 15th century, Cosimo de’ Medici rebuilt these plus started out building at Careggi and Fiesole. His master architect was Michelozzo at Careggi and Fiesole. According to the original layout these villas were still quite “severe”, though a series of additional recreational spaces: courtyards, balconies, and gardens served to lighten the general ambience.

Gradually, Florence became surrounded by a collection of Medici villas, with others in more distant parts of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. By the end of the 16th century, there were at least 16 major estates, with at least another 11 of secondary interest (mainly owned for agricultural reasonsor owned by the Medici family for a short time). Together with a constellation of farms and hunting lodges throughout Tuscany, various members of the dynasty used them for recreational purposes.

In the 17th century the Flemish painter Giusto Utens painted a series of lunettes depicting the main Medici villas in the 17th century, which are now held by the I Musei Civici Fiorentini 

Read more about the 14 villas here:

A good place to start gathering information is at the website: Palazzo Medici with The Mediateca Medicea

More about the proposition can be found at the official website dedicated to the promotion of the Medici Villas as World Heritage

Read the report from ICOMOS concerning the proposal “The Medici Villas and Gardens”

Apr 30

georges-chapel-oxford-castle
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Geoffrey Monmouth

A now-crumbled chapel on the site of Oxford Castle is almost certain to have been the place, where the Legends of King Arthur, part of the 12th century History of the Kings of Britain, were written by Geoffrey of Monmouth.

Oxford Castle is a large, partly ruined Norman medieval castle situated on the west edge of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England. The originally moated wooden motte and bailey castle was replaced with stone in the 11th century.  It played an important role in the conflict of the Anarchy, a civil war in England and Normandy between 1135 and 1153. However, in the 14th century the military value of the castle diminished and the site was used primarily for county administration and for detaining prisoners. Most of the castle was destroyed during the English Civil War and by the 18th century the remaining buildings were used as Oxford’s local prison. Today the medieval remains of the castle, including the motte and St George’s Tower, are classed as a Grade I listed building and as a Scheduled Monument. The castle is used as venue for historical events and guided tours. In May there will be a week of family quests and Sword in the Stone-style activities around the castle celebrating the discovery that Geoffrey of Monmouth conceived his Historia Regum Britanniae there.

““It was Geoffrey who introduced the figures of King Arthur and Merlin to a wide medieval readership while he served in St George’s Chapel, on the site of what is now Oxford Castle,” explains Helen Fulton to BBC, Professor of Medieval Literature at the University of York with particular knowledge of Arthurian literature. She continues: “We know he must have been in Oxford in at least 1129 or earlier and the book was written around 1136. He must have been based there when he wrote his famous Latin chronicle, Historia Regum Britanniae, around 1136.

Oxford Castle
Oxford castle is first recorded in1071 when the Annals od Oseney states that “in the same year the castle of Oxford was built by Robert de Oilly the First”. The castle was inserted into the Western end of the late Saxon Town and made use of the river in its defences.

The first Norman castle was presumably made out of earth and timer; it may have had the form of a “ring-work”. However, very soon its plan comprised a mound and bailey.

The castle never played a significant role in the History of England, except during the Anarchy when King Stephen besieged the Empress Matilda in 1142. The castle was yet again under attack in 1215 during the war of the Barons.

Very early on in the 12th century the original wooden buildings were replaced by stone-work. However from the 14th century the castle was allowed to fall into disrepair and its functions ceased to be military.

St. George’s Tower and the crypt belong to the earliest stone-work. It is even possible these edifices belonged to an earlier church, since the parish of St. George is documented from pre-conquest. The crypt and the tower is all that is left of this church. In the end of the 18th century a huge part of the old building was sacrificed in order to built a prison in the former castle. The former nave and chancel was at that point rebuilt as a prison hospital. However, part of the crypt still stands. Its massive proportions and its rough stone-carvings represent the vestiges of this very early building from the 12th century.

Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth was a 12th-century cleric and writer who was a key figure in collection and distribution of the legends of King Arthur. Relatively little is known about his life but it is believed he was born around 1100 in Wales or the Welsh Marches and had a Breton father and a Welsh mother. He is described as magister, a Latin word meaning master, which suggests he may have been teaching in the early days of the university. He was made bishop of St. Asaph in Wales in 1152 and died in 1155.

READ MORE:

A Companion to Arthurian Literature (Blackwell Companions to Literature and Culture)
By Helen Fulton (Editor)
Wiley-Blackwell (6 Jan 2012)

This Companion offers a chronological sweep of the canon of Arthurian literature – from its earliest beginnings to the contemporary manifestations of Arthur found in film and electronic media. Part of the popular series, Blackwell Companions to Literature and Culture, this expansive volume enables a fundamental understanding of Arthurian literature and explores why it is still integral to contemporary culture. Offers a comprehensive survey from the earliest to the most recent works Features an impressive range of well–known international contributors Examines contemporary additions to the Arthurian canon, including film and computer games Underscores an understanding of Arthurian literature as fundamental to western literary tradition

The History of the Kings of Britain (Classics)
Geoffrey of Monmouth (Author), Lewis Thorpe (Introduction, Translator)
Penguin Classics; New Impression edition (25 Jan 1973)

Completed in 1136, The History of the Kings of Britain traces the story of the realm from its supposed foundation by Brutus to the coming of the Saxons some two thousand years later. Vividly portraying legendary and semi-legendary figures such as Lear, Cymbeline, Merlin the magician and the most famous of all British heroes, King Arthur, it is as much myth as it is history and its veracity was questioned by other medieval writers. But Geoffrey of Monmouth’s powerful evocation of illustrious men and deeds captured the imagination of subsequent generations, and his influence can be traced through the works of Malory, Shakespeare, Dryden and Tennyson.

Oxford Castle Unlocked
The official Guidebook

 

Apr 27

abadia-retuerta-jacob-termansen-05

Abadia Retuerta

Abadia Retuerta 
LeDomaine is a romanesque abbey in Northern Spain near Valladolid. It was recently given the prestigious Europa Nostra award for conservation

In 1145 the daughter of the Lord of Valladolid, Doña Mayor donated “terras et vineas” to the church. Immediately afterwards the construction of the grandiose Abbey, Abadía Santa Maria de Retuerta, began. It was built for the Premonstratensian Order. Baroque-Romanesque in style, it has a classic Benedictine layout of church, cloister, refectory, chapterhouse and hospedería. Many building details are Romanesque. It is one of only two such abbeys to have survived the destruction wrought by Napoleon and is a treasured Spanish cultural heritage site. Nevertheless, the Abbey was until recently an empty shell slowly turning into a derelict ruin. Now it functions as a luxurious hotel a couple of hours north of Madrid.

abadia retuerta matias costa 01 300x219 Abadia Retuerta

Abadía Santa Maria de Retuerta

The recent abbey renovation has strived to respect the integrity of 1000 years of history as well as the visions of the ancient founders’ vision and values. The original monastic uses of rooms have been maintained – the refectory functions as the restaurant – while the Romanesque-Baroque architecture has been conserved, not altered. However, added to this have been opulent new furnishings, lightings and climate controls in order to make modern guests feel at home. Nevertheless all has been done without compromising the ancient site. For instance several original artworks were restored, while the river landscape and acres of vineyards were replanted. Abbey, winery, landscape, art, architecture and history have thus been embodied into a new exclusive hotel giving the abbey a vital new role in this century and ensuring its continued safety in the future.

“To alter this ancient edifice was to engage in a 1.000 year-old architectural dialogue. The judicious restraint of my intervention, is my homage to those who spoke before me.” Says Marco Serra, Master Architect

Hence, the twelfth-century building retains enough historic detail—ask to see the jewel box of a chapel—to keep things architecturally interesting. However, at the same time the clean-lined decor is thoroughly contemporary, the large rooms wrapped in soothing beiges and striking contrast colours. According to a review in Condé Nast Traveller: “The staff anticipate every whim, from the hot towels and warm tea cocktail delivered upon arrival to the bottles of mineral water presented for traveling upon departure.

The restoration recently received the prestigious award for restoration by Europa Nostra for its outstanding respect for the traditional visions and values of the original founders and builders. The question is: can this be achieved in a restoration like this? And what should we in general think about such restoration projects?

A presentation of the Abadia and the restoration

The story of the Abbey (in Spanish)

 

 

Apr 27

Marmorisco-san-juan-baptista

Romanesque North

Northern Spain is littered with Romanesque Art and Architecture.  A huge restoration project recently recieved the prestigious Europa Nostra Medal 2013

Románico Norte - or Romanesque North – is the name of a huge and impressive project in Northern Spain. From 2005 to 2012 a plan was laid to institute a complete restoration of 54 churches in the diocese of Palencia and Burgos, in the old Merindad Aguilar de Campo district. The geographical area covered by the Plan focuses on the North Eastern part of the Northwest province of Palencia and Burgos, where the Southern slope of the Cantabrian Mountains meet the Castilian plateau. The vast territory with its distinct topography has posed a major challenge for the whole team trying to implement the objectives of the plan for the development of the “Romanesque North”.

romanico norte 200x300 Romanesque North

San Juan Baptista

The work has – as can be ascertained from the website – been carried out in collaboration with a number of partners, who have provided state of the art solutions. Apart from local councils the work has been funded by La Consejería de Cultura y Turismo de la Junta de Castilla y León , la Fundación Siglo para las Artes de Castilla y León  and la Fundación Santa María la Real-Centro de Estudios del Románico . Partner has also been the Dioceses of Palencia and Burgos.

The aim has been to further sustainable economic growth, through taking care of and developing the nature, history and heritage, which is embedded in the landscape. Accordingly the work is still in progress since not only the churches but also the surrounding landscape is being analysed, described and restored.

Iglesia de San Juan Bautista
This has for instance been the case in the Iglesia de San Juan Bautista in Matamorisca, where the church is decorated with a series of very well preserved murals, which have been painstakingly restores. However, in order to provide lightening for the celebration of mass and other religious services, the church had installed a really terrifying lightening system  – with ripe possibilities for fires. Further the old lightening hampered the visitor, who wanted to study the murals in detail. Apart from restoring the church, the work carried out by Románico Norte consisted in installing a state of the art lightening, where 95% of the fuses etc. were hidden and at the same time providing a better experience both for the local villagers and the cultural tourists.

Románico Norte recently received the prestigious Europa Nostra Prize for 2013.  Read the validation here –  and see the video

READ MORE: 

Románico Norte

Read more about Romanesque art in Spain

Enciclopedia del Románico en la Peninsula Iberérica

- or access the encyclopedia in digital form

 

Apr 26

Angela LLop-santa-maria-de-bell-lloc

Coloma de Queralt

NEW RESEARCH:

Santa Coloma de Queralt  – A Rural Market Town in Catalonia

Santa Coloma de Queralt in the middle of present day Catalonia is even today a small rural market town. Complete with a with a pretty much intact medieval centre, it was established in the early11th century on the border between old Catalonia and the Muslim territory, where it grew from a small village in the shadow of a fortification, a church and a nearby hermitage into a rural market town with approximately 1500 inhabitants. Today the population is around 3000, but it still exude the same atmosphere of a busy little town as it must have done 7 – 800 years ago.

At least that is the feeling you get from reading the work of Gregory B. Milton who has made the small city an object for his extensive studies. So far this has resulted in a series of papers and articles plus a recent monograph, published last year on Palgrave Macmillan.

One reason is undoubtedly the fortuitous preservation of a large notarial collection. All in all 4300 records have been preserved concerning transfer of land in connection with marriages and inheritances, exchanges of real property plus more generally debts /commerce. This material – which the author interestingly enough claims is in no way unique in a Catalonian context – show how the 13th century witnessed a marked development of the role of trade and markets plus exchange of capital; plus not least the professionalization of the use of written, notarial records and contracts. Such instruments were part of the daily life and used by the majority. The book (which is a rewritten thesis) tells the general story of this transformation. The article focuses more specifically on the development of the ecclesiastical scribania into a professional notarial institution and shows how this was a

sta coloma 2 225x300 Coloma de Queralt

reflection of the effort of the Crown of Aragon through the implementation of new legislation.

“These professional notarial scribes of the period – he writes –  provided administrative services in many different arenas, but more significantly provided a reliable means – accurate, flexible and legal – of monitoring the commercial transactions they recorded for their customers. The value of professional notarial writing helped create and further the increased commercial activity of the period within the Crown of Aragon. While scholars have long considered this process in major urban centres, it was also a significant factor for rural communities in Catalonia, which utilised and benefited from regular access to professional writing for the necessities of daily life”.

Both are well worth reading: The book for its detailed documentation of the development of a rural market town in the 13th century and the article for its detailed analysis of the changes and professionalization of the notarial system. Currently Milton is working on a new book: Cultures of Debt: Christian, Muslim and Jewish Society in Iberia (1000-1500).

Santa Maria de Bell lloc small Coloma de Queralt

Santa Maria de Bell-lloc

Travelling to Santa Coloma de Queralt and trying to get a sense of the place, it may seem a bit bone dry to bring Miltons work along as a travelling companion (and, alas, even if available as an E-book, it costs a horrendous $92.50). But apart from the long and fastidious (and commendable) story about the transformation from village to market-town, the book also contains some fascinating biographies in the end of some of the medieval bailiffs, who basically ran the business of the town plus examples of the notarial instruments, which can be found in the registers. Not really worth a fortune, but…

And then we might wish for much more in order to get to know the place so much better. Accordingly this should be read as an invitation to Miller to write yet another book with a bit more historical anthropological twist to Coloma de Queralt and its fascinating personages from the 13th century.

Santa Maria de Bell-Lloc and Pere de Queralt

One of the sights in Colomoa de Queralt is a church on the outskirts of the city, Santa Maria de Bell-Lloc, with a late Romanesque portal form the 13th century.

Pere de Queralt II was lord of Santa Coloma de Queralt in the later half of the 13th century. As such he participated in the conquest of Valencia and Murcia. In 1240 he married Berengeria and acquired castell d’Aguiló, located a couple of kilometres outside Coloma de Queralt. Later, after having been widowed, he became Templar after having divided his possessions amongst his children. He is mentioned, although peripherally, in the Book of Deeds of James I of Aragon as amongst other things, a royally appointed arbiter in one of the many clashes between the king and the lords of his retinue. Later he played an important role in the reign of Peter III as admiral and ambassador to the Pope.

Angela LLop lion santa maria de bell lloc 296x300 Coloma de QueraltAbout him a legend is told, according to which the Saracens took Pere de Queralt as prisoner during a raid. As they knew him as a very brave knight, he was promised his freedom if he could fight and overcome a lion without a weapon. Which he of course accomplished, compelling the Saracens to release him. Afterwards he hired some of the best sculptors of his time and had them build a portal to the church, Santa Maria de Bell-Lloc, belonging to the former hermitage. Nowadays it is located on the outskirts of Coloma de Queralt, but in the 13th century it was found outside the city.

Originally it consisted of just a single nave, but later early Gothic additions from the 14th century added some side-chapels and a cloister (now gone). However, the portal in the west is pure Romanesque and must have been paid for by the Templar. The Tympanum holds a beautiful scene with the crowned Virgin in the middle flanked on the right side by Joseph and further on scene with the annunciation. To the left the three magi are seen adoring the child. The rest of the portal shows a series of compact scenes with amongst others the magi before king Herod and the flight into Egypt. One scene is remarkable: It shows a knight fighting a lion with his bare hands.  The church was used as a family vault and subjected to a series of generous donations.

 

Market Power. Lordship, Society and Economy in Medieval Catalonia (1276 -1313)
By Gregory B. Milton.
Palgrave Macmillan 2012
ISBN: 978-0-230-39170-3

The Transition from Ecclesiastical Scribania to Professional Notariate in Santa Coloma de Queralt
By Gregory B. Milton, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
In: Journal of Medieval History Volume 39, Issue 1, 2013, p. 1 – 19
Doi: 10.1080/03044181.2012.738787

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