The Historian's Notebook

In the Crown of Aragon, 639 years ago, Joan ruled on a dispute over a dowry. This episode spends a lot of time on the materiality of the archival documents themselves and the experience of the Archive of the Crown of Aragon. Also, though, the episode provides introductory information about Marie A. Kelleher's scholarship on the way that women navigated and operationalized the legal system in the Crown of Aragon.

Read more about this document on the episode page on Jonathan' s website, https://jonathanseyfried.net/historians-notebook-s1-episodes/e12-jan5

Today's Document:

• Subject: Joan rules on a petition
• Date: January 5, 1387
• Day of the Week: Saturday
• Language: Latin
• Archival Reference Number: ACA CR R1786 f259v-260v
• Link to PARES
• Place: Girona, ostensibly
• Sender: Joan
• Recipients: petitioners

Music Credits

The music in this episode is from The Troubadour Dance Instrumental by Melody Ayers-Griffiths

In the Crown of Aragon, 639 years ago, Joan wrote to his brother, Marti, who is in pursuit of Queen Sibilla. Today's document provides some hints about the flurry of communication happening. Also, the first signs of Joan's illness start to appear as he tells his brother that he will spend an extra night in Bella Dona.

Read more about this document on the episode page on Jonathan' s website, https://jonathanseyfried.net/historians-notebook-s1-episodes/e11-jan4

Today's Document:

• Subject:Joan and Martí figuring out how to respond to Queen Sibilla’s flight from Barcelona
• Date: January 4, 1387
• Day of the Week: Friday
• Language: Catalan
• Archival Reference Number: ACA CR R1952 f8r
• Link to PARES
• Place: Bella Dona
• Sender: Joan
• Recipients: Martí

Music Credits

The music in this episode is from The Troubadour Dance Instrumental by Melody Ayers-Griffiths

In the Crown of Aragon, 639 years ago, Joan informed the Barcelona city councilors that he would arrive there soon. It is a promise that he will not be able to keep...

Read more about this document on the episode page on Jonathan' s website, https://jonathanseyfried.net/historians-notebook-s1-episodes/e10-jan3

Today's Document:

• Subject: Joan’s communication with the leadership of Barcelona about Pere’s grave illness
• Date: January 3, 1387
• Day of the Week: Thursday
• Archival Reference Number: ACA CR R1952 f11v
• Link to PARES
• Place: Girona
• Sender: Joan
• Recipients: Prohomens of Barcelona

Music Credits

The music in this episode is from The Troubadour Dance Instrumental by Melody Ayers-Griffiths

Warning: today's episode is about sexual assault.

In the Crown of Aragon, 639 years ago, Joan wrote to the Duc de Berry about the students who got into trouble in Montpellier. He provides details that were not at all present in Violant's letter of December 25th. Those details make it clear that the students committed a rape.

This episode, while dealing with a difficult topic, provides a powerful example of how archival records produce silences and how a historian can become aware of their own blindspots.

Extra information about today's document as well as bibliographic citations are available at the webpage for this episode: https://jonathanseyfried.net/historians-notebook-s1-episodes/e9-jan2

Today’s Document:

• Subject: Joan asks the Duc de Berry to influence the treatment of the Catalan students
• Date: January 2, 1387
• Day of the Week: Wednesday
• Archival Reference Number: ACA CR R1648 f109r
• Link to PARES
• Place: Girona
• Sender: Joan
• Recipient: Duc de Berry

In the Crown of Aragon, 639 years ago, Joan wrote to Marti about their father's books and astronomical instruments. In a move that appears rather vulturous, Joan asks his brother to secure some of their dying father’s precious possessions. In this episode Jonathan also discusses Catalan humanism and introduces Joan and Violant's cultural contributions.

Read more about this document on the episode page on Jonathan' s website, https://jonathanseyfried.net/historians-notebook-s1-episodes/e8-jan1

Today's Document:

• Subject: Joan asks Martí to secure items as Pere is dying
• Date: January 1, 1387
• Day of the Week: Tuesday
• Archival Reference Number: ACA CR R1952 f5r-v
• Link to PARES
• Place: Girona
• Sender: Joan
• Recipients: Martí

Music Credits

The music in this episode is from The Troubadour Dance Instrumental by Melody Ayers-Griffiths

In the Crown of Aragon, 639 years ago, Joan provided authorization for an inheritance proceeding. Today's document eventually becomes comprehensible thanks to a bail-out from AI. After discussing it, Jonathan adds a bit more background information about the Crown of Aragon, Violant de Bar's childhood, and the familial dynamics between Pere and Joan.

Read more about this document on the episode page on Jonathan' s website, https://jonathanseyfried.net/historians-notebook-s1-episodes/e7-dec31

Today's Document:

• Subject: The execution of the last will of Andreu de Fenollet
• Date: December 31, 1387
• Day of the Week: Monday
• Archival Reference Number: ACA CR R1752 f23r 2a
• Link to PARES
• Place: Girona
• Sender: Joan
• Recipients: All of the leading officials in Roussillon and Cerdagne

Music Credits

The music in this episode is from The Troubadour Dance Instrumental by Melody Ayers-Griffiths

In the Crown of Aragon, 639 years ago, Joan issued a dramatic charter. The King is not yet dead, but the machinery of the succession activates. In a fateful turn of events, the Queen flees the bedside of the dying King. Upon hearing this, Joan takes swift action against the Queen, a move which benefits Violant. That is the subject of today's document, a charter by Joan but written in Violant's register of her property records.

Read more about this document on the episode page on Jonathan' s website, https://jonathanseyfried.net/historians-notebook-s1-episodes/e6-dec30

Today's Document:

• Subject: A charter granting all of Sibilla de Fortià’s properties to Violant
• Date: December 30, 1387
• Day of the Week: Sunday
• Archival Reference Number: ACA CR R1808 f197v-198v
• Link to PARES
• Place: Girona
• Authorizer: Joan
• Recipients: All of the officials in charge of the properties and collection of rents

Music Credits

The music in this episode is from The Troubadour Dance Instrumental by Melody Ayers-Griffiths

In the Crown of Aragon, 639 years ago, Violant's treasurer authorized a payment to a baker on her household staff. This episode introduces a new type of document to the podcast, a treasury record. In this document, a baker gets paid 356 sous for three months of work in Violant's household. After some sourcing and historical thinking about this document, the episode shifts to explain a little background about how Joan and Violant start planning the logistics of succession. This sets up for tomorrow's document, one that brings some high drama into the story.

Read more about this document on the episode page on Jonathan' s website, https://jonathanseyfried.net/historians-notebook-s1-episodes/e5-dec29

Today's Document:

• Subject: A record of a payment to a ‘panier’ of the queen’s household;
• Date: payment for the period of October 1, 1386 to December 29, 1387;
• Day of the Week: Saturday;
• Archival Reference Number: ACA RP MR, vol. SG, 904, f72v. (image 95);
• Link to PARES;
• Place: Barcelona;
• Account Holder: Violant;
• Authorizer: Johan Callos;
• Recipient: Simon de Fornells;

Music Credits

The music in this episode is from The Troubadour Dance Instrumental by Melody Ayers-Griffiths

In the Crown of Aragon, 639 years ago, Joan wrote to religious officials in Huesca. In this episode, Jonathan wrangles with some tough Latin and then discusses one of the most useful resources for this project, an Itinerary of Joan's location composed by Daniel Girona i Llagostera in 1923.

Read more about this document on the episode page on Jonathan' s website, https://jonathanseyfried.net/historians-notebook-s1-episodes/e4-dec28

Today's Document:

• Subject: Another letter from Joan to an ecclesiastical official about a vacancy.
• Date: December 28, 1387
• Day of the Week: Friday
• Archival Reference Number: ACA CR R1675 f20r
• Link to PARES
• Place: Girona
• Sender: Joan, Duke of Girona
• Recipient: Unsure, the ‘capitulum’ of Huesca?

Music Credits

The music in this episode is from The Troubadour Dance Instrumental by Melody Ayers-Griffiths

In the Crown of Aragon, 639 years ago, Violant wrote her own recommendation letter for Bernardo Maloll. Plus: worm holes, chancery backlogs, gender dynamics and more!

Read about this document on the episode page on Jonathan's website, https://jonathanseyfried.net/historians-notebook-s1-episodes/e3-dec27

Today's Document:

• Subject:Violant recommends Bernardo Maloll for an ecclesiastical post
• Date: December 27, 1387
• Day of the Week: Wednesday
• Archival Reference Number: ACA CR R1822 f118r
• Link to PARES
• Place: Girona
• Sender: Violant, Duchess of Girona
• Recipient: Juan Fernández de Heredia, Master of Rhodes, head of the Hospitallers

Music Credits

The music in this episode is from The Troubadour Dance Instrumental by Melody Ayers-Griffiths