The Construction of Written Memory in the Ecclesiastical Archives in Ribagorza, from the Eleventh to the Thirteenth Century (SP)

Abstract

During the eleventh century, the main ecclesiastical institutions in Ribagorza and surrounding areas underwent a deep transformation and growth, through the intervention of monarchs and bishops. Starting then and up to 1150, the earlier archival materials were selected, compiled and modified; indeed, few documents survived that had not been made part of the resulting documentary products which will be analysed in this article. Within that context, there was a constant dialogue between the churchmen’s present and their immediate and distant past, which led to the construction of a coherent narrative of their history, intended to legitimize their present and secure their own interests.