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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 July 2016
The medieval sources for the study of the organization and customs of the Spanish military Order of Calatrava have never been published. For information on this matter scholars have relied upon the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century difiniciones enacted by the general chapters of the Order. With the hope of stimulating interest in a subject which has long awaited analysis, the difiniciones or statutes of Abbot William II of Morimond, given in 1468, are printed here. This is the first in a series of projected editions of all the texts pertinent to the organization and customs of the Order in the Middle Ages. Abbot William's difiniciones, like those of his predecessors, issued during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, contain useful details concerning the monastic practices of the knights of Calatrava.
* I wish to express my gratitude to the Institute of International Education, New York, for the award of a fellowship permitting me to conduct research in the Spanish archives during the academic year 1955–1956. The present paper is, in part, the outcome of my work in that period. For a more extensive treatment of the Order of Calatrava and its relation with Morimond, I refer the reader to my article ‘The Affiliation of the Order of Calatrava with the Order of Ctteaux,’ to be published in Analecla Sacri Ordinis Cislerciensis, in 1959. Google Scholar
1 See Diffiniciones de la órden y cavallería de Calatrava (Madrid 1576); later editions were published at Madrid in 1603 and 1661. For general information see Francisco Rades y Andrada, Chrónica de las tres órdenes y cavallerías de Sanctiago, Calatrava y Alcántara (Toledo 1572) and Francis Gutton, L'Ordre de Calatrava (Paris 1955). Google Scholar
2 Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada, De rebus Hispaniae 7. 14, 27 (in Hispania Illustrata, ed. Schott, A., 2 [Frankfort 1603–1609] 118–125).Google Scholar
3 Bullarium ordinis militiae de Calatrava (Madrid 1761) 2; this is a letter of the Cistercian general chapter approving the Order. Pope Alexander Ill's bull of confirmation, September 25, 1164, is given in PL 200.310–2 (JL 11064).Google Scholar
4 Bullarium 3-4, 21–25 and in PL 217.283–286. TraditioGoogle Scholar
6 See Canivez, J. M. (ed.), Statuta capitulorum generalium ordinis Cisterciensis (8 vols. Louvain 1933–1941).Google Scholar
6 Seventeenth-century copies of the statutes of 1304, 1307, 1325, 1336, 1338, 1383, 1383, 1418, 1433, 1433, 1452 are preserved in the Registro de escrituras de la Orden de Calatrava (9 vols., Madrid, Archivo Histórico Nacional, Sección de Ordenes Militares [abbr. AHN Ord. Mil.], Sign. 1341C-1349C). The texts of 1397, 1407, 1408, 1444 can be reconstructed from the excerpts given in Diffiniciones del Rdo Don Fray Guillermo Abad de Morimundo, AHN Ord. Mil., Sign. 1270C. Google Scholar
7 Crónica de Don Juan II, Año 36, cap. 8, 10; Año 37, cap. 2–3 (in Biblioteca de Autores Españoles [abbr. BAE] 68.610–612). ‘Difiniciones’ of the Order of CalatravaGoogle Scholar
8 AHN Ord. Mil. Documentos particulares de Calatrava 322–323; Documentos eclesiásticos 128. Google Scholar
9 Crónica de Don Juan II, Año 39, cap. 19–20; Año 40, cap. 5 (BAE 68. 636–644). See the interesting study of Girón by Francisco de Uhagón, Discursos leídos ante la Real Académia de la História (Madrid 1898).Google Scholar
10 AHN Ord. Mil. Documentos particulares 331–332. Google Scholar
11 AHN Ord. Mil. Documentos particulares 340. Google Scholar
12 Crónica de Don Enrique IV, cap. 85 (BAE 70.154) and Mosén Diego de Valera, Memorial de diversas hazañas, cap. 36 (BAE 70.39–40).Google Scholar
13 AHN Ord. Mil. Documentes eclesiásticos 134, 142. Google Scholar
14 Crónica de Don Enrique IV, cap. 86 (BAE 70.154–5) and AHN Ord. Mil. Documentes particulares 355.Google Scholar
15 William declared that the Order should be administered by four comendadores chosen annually by the knights until Don Rodrigo reached the age of twenty (infra cap. 63 [fol. eIVv]), but Pope Paul II named the Marquess of Villena, Don Rodrigo's uncle, as coadjutor during the minority (Bullarium 266–270); Villena was the real governor of the Order until his death six years later. Google Scholar
16 Registro de Escrituras de la Orden de Calatrava 8 (AHN Ord. Mil. Sign. 1348C) 97–113v.Google Scholar
17 These statutes are found in the following manuscripts: Libro de visitas generales de la Orden de Montesa, AHN Ord. Mil., Sign. 877C, fols. 1–3 (text in Catalan), 3–6 (text in Latin) — these two copies date from the fifteenth century; Libro de las visitas, capitulos generales, bullas apostolicas y otras cosas tocantes a la Orden de Montesa (1633), Madrid, Biblioteca Nacional, Sign. 845-D-133, fols. 43–47v; and Visitas de la Orden de Calatrava en Montesa, Madrid, Real Académia de la Historia, Sign. 12–4-2-I-5. Google Scholar
18 Julián Zarco Cuevas, Catálogo de los manuscritos castellanos de la Real Biblioteca de El Escorial (Madrid 1924) II 338–339; Vicente Castañeda y Alcover, ‘Indice sumario de los manuscritos castellanos de genealogia, heráldica y órdenes militares que se custodian en la Real Biblioteca de San Lorenzo de El Escorial,’ Boletín de la Real Académia de la História 70 (1917) 359. Google Scholar
1 The principal officers of the Order were the master; the comendador mayor, lieutenantgeneral of the master in Castile; the clavero, or castellan of Calatrava; the obrero, in charge fo general maintenance, construction and repairs; the sacristan, and the prior. The prior was a monk of Morimond appointed by his abbot. Other ranks included the comendadores, i. e., those holding encomiendas; the priors delegated by the prior of Calatrava to serve in the encomiendas; the knights and the chaplains serving in the convent of Calatrava. Google Scholar
2 Text reads quod ut. Google Scholar
3 Text reads rationabiliter … moventibus. Google Scholar
4 Matthew 21.13. Google Scholar
5 Text reads conversatione; BDE: conservaçion. Google Scholar
6 Maravedis (Sp.), Castilian coins, greatly debased during the reign of Enrique IV (1454–1474).Google Scholar
7 1 Corinthians 9.13. Google Scholar
8 Cahiz (Sp.), a nominal measure of about twelve bushels.Google Scholar
9 Arrova or Arroba (Sp.), a variable liquid measure.Google Scholar
10 Vino lymphato, wine mixed with water.Google Scholar
11 Huius is repeated.Google Scholar
12 In 1462 the florin was valued at 103 maravedis. Google Scholar
13 Ecclesiasticus 19.27. Google Scholar
14 B: pavonado claro; DE: paño azul, bright blue. Google Scholar
15 Text reads intelleximos. Google Scholar
16 Aristotle, , Nicomachean Ethics 4.8.3 (cf. 2.7.13): εὐτϱαπελία; B : utropelia; D : eutropelia; E : entropelia. Google Scholar
17 Text reads puniatur. Google Scholar
18 Text reads illas. Google Scholar
19 Retama (Sp.), furze.Google Scholar
20 1 Corinthians 9.7. Google Scholar
21 Lancea, lanza (Sp.), a lancer, or soldier armed with a lance.Google Scholar
22 Text reads voto; B: de nuevo; DE: nuevamente. 23 Text reads eligant. Google Scholar
24 Text reads concedatur … inhibeatur. Google Scholar
25 Text reads inhibeatur. Google Scholar
26 Ephesians 4.28. Google Scholar
27 Text reads compleverit. Google Scholar
28 Text reads hac. Google Scholar
29 Gaudere is repeated. Google Scholar
30 Text reads poterit. Google Scholar
31 Text reads generales. Google Scholar
32 B: los captiven et a la servidumbre de la orden sean bueltos; DE: los cativen e tornen a la servidumbre de la orden, Google Scholar
33 Text reads diem. Google Scholar
34 Text reads inquirent. Google Scholar
35 Text reads declare. Google Scholar
36 Text reads iuridice. Google Scholar
37 Text reads alio modo: modo is crossed out. Google Scholar
38 Text reads ex; BDE: en compania. Google Scholar
39 Text reads ministrando. Google Scholar
40 Arrendamentum, arrendamiento (Sp.), property rented or leased. For examples see AHN Ord. Mil. Documentos particulares 287, 336, 374.Google Scholar
41 Text reads: exnunc pro extunc et tunc pro exnunc. Google Scholar
42 Text reads comunicaverunt. Google Scholar
43 Text reads: abstinere; B: obtener. Google Scholar
44 This title is given in the margin. The chapter was erroneously entitled: Quod electio novi magistri notificetur militibus Aragonie. Google Scholar
45 Text reads: oviare. Google Scholar
46 Text reads delvolvatur. Google Scholar
47 BDE: podra asignar. Google Scholar
48 BDE: see celebrada. 49 Regula iuris 29 in Sexto. 50 Text reads et non. Google Scholar
51 Galatians 6.2. Google Scholar
52 Text reads conventus. Google Scholar
53 Text reads ordinem. Google Scholar
54 Text reads inmutatum. Google Scholar
55 B repeats chapter 29. Google Scholar
56 Matthew 12.25; Luke 11.17. Google Scholar
57 Epist. 49(48).14.8 (CSEL 54.374.2; PL 22 [1859] 504).Google Scholar
58 Residivare, recidivare, residere, recidere, to fall into sin again.Google Scholar
59 Vivenda, vivienda (Sp.), dwelling, lodging; acostamentum, acostamiento (Sp.), remuneration given by the king or a lord to a vassal, who was obliged to render military service with a certain number of knights.Google Scholar
60 Text reads exemptas; BDE : compradas. Google Scholar
61 Text reads usum fructuum. Google Scholar
62 Text reads ad habitationes. Google Scholar
63 Text reads illo. Google Scholar
64 Text reads numerandos. Google Scholar
65 BDE: incurran. Google Scholar
66 Proverbs 11.14, 24.6. Google Scholar
67 Text reads cum. Google Scholar
68 Text reads pro. Google Scholar
69 Text reads boriera. Google Scholar
70 BDE: en. Google Scholar
71 BDE: ser. Google Scholar
72 C and D end here. Google Scholar
73 B: ‘Et yo frey Teobaldo Fabri de Marchina rreligioso capellan et notario del muy reverendo yn Cristo padre señor, señor de Morimundo, en sacra pagina liçençiado, presente fuy et aquellas vi et oy fazer a todas las cosas primissas et cada una delias, conviene a saber, a la publicaçion, lecçion, confirmaçion, approbaçion de las presentes difiniçiones et estatutos asy del rreverendissimo padre mi señor de Morimundo como de los otros comendadores sobredichos, priores, freyles, por ende de mandado del dicho señor mio de Morimundo las presentes difiniçiones con mi mano propia fechas, de mi signo manual sygne en fe et testimonyo de las premissas.’ Google Scholar
