Councils, memory and mills: the early development of the Peace of God in Catalonia

Abstract

The Peace councils which took place throughout west Francia from the late tenth century have long been recognized as complex political, social and ritual events. Discussions of the Peace, however, often neglect the local factors which informed these councils. The earliest councils in Catalonia were characterized by remarkable variety in both their organization and in their objectives. Some elements of these councils reflect longstanding regional traditions. Earlier provincial synods, for example, shared many of the same concerns expressed at Peace councils. Both synods and councils testify to an impressive level of regional episcopal co‐operation. The 1027 Council of Toulouges provides a rich opportunity to explore the microsocial and micropolitical alliances and animosities which motivated one council. The monastery of Sant Miquel de Cuixà, whose abbot organized this council and two others, had been developing a network of mills and irrigation canals near the council's site. The choice of the council's site was motivated, in part, by the desire to secure Cuixà's grip on these property rights. The mills near Toulouges are an example of the local impulses which informed early Peace councils; understanding these impulses can contribute to current debates about the Feudal Revolution.

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