Libre del repartiment

Llibre del Repartiment

The Llibre del Repartiment is a book of documents of the greatest historical worth. It is a collection of documents and writs in the name of the King of Valencia, which was created in connection with the Spanish Reconquista in the period from 1239 to 1270. The records in the Gothic work are mostly concerned with the endowment and ownership of land and represents one of the most important sources for the history of the Kingdom of Valencia. Alongside the records concerning the distribution of land in Valencia, there are a few similar works additionally originating from the time of the Reconquista in Spain. Having said that, the document at hand is the most comprehensive and significant of its kind.

A Historic Codex

The capitulation of the Muslim land of Taifa Balansya, which was conquered by King Jaime I of Aragon, was signed on the 28th of September, 1238. This date is considered among historians to be the hour of the birth of the Kingdom of Valencia. Traditionally, legends say that King Jaime himself entered the realm on this day and began to immediately distribute land and residences. His actions were noted in the Llibre del Repartiment. The records tell of endowments to all the countries, which were involved in the Reconquista of Valencia. These were the kingdoms of Aragon, Catalonia, Navarra, England, Hungary, Italy, and France. It is recorded in the Llibre who received a gift, what kind of gift it was, and what possessions additionally passed into the hands of the new owner.

The History of Islam in Valencia

The gifts that King Jaime I presented to his allies were residences and lands of the conquered Muslim population of the Taifa states. For a large part of the Muslim population, conquest by the Christians signaled flight from their homes, forcing them to leave virtually all of their possessions behind. At the same time, many families stayed behind in the new Christian Kingdom and lived there as so-called Mudéjar. Adherents to the religious group of the Mudéjars were allowed to remain in their homes and continue to practice their religion, though admittedly they had certain conditions to adhere to and had to adapt to their Christian surroundings. Even though the Llibre del Repartiment did not report comprehensively about these politically significant proceedings in Medieval Spain, having said that, the historical events are easily understood with the aid of the detailed records. This important work is an indispensable source about the historical development of modern Europe.