Season 1, Episode 44

Violant provides funds for the repair of a mill in Torroella de Montgri.

Episode 44

Torroella de Montgrí on Google Maps

Sourcing: it is likely that this town was part of Sibilla de Fortia’s portfolio and that Violant is newly learning about the condition of the mill in this town; Violant’s main concern would be to get the revenue flowing again and it appears to be an easy solution to provide a bit of financing
Contextualization: the fourteenth-century documents of the royal family mention many infrastructure projects, ranging from military fortifications to canal re-routing; at times the documents order lower officials to spend the money for the project and other times the document indicates that funds will be sent; the larger context of the financial system of the Crown of Aragon determined much of the decision-making and financial crises in the 1380s put a strain on the availability of funds for projects like the mill in this document
Corroboration: this document lacks any mention of obstacles to getting the money to Bernardo Torroni; other documents might reveal problems with funding streams
Close-Reading: with only ‘Yolans, etc.’ starting the letter, the lack of formality and ornamentation might reflect the lower status of the recipient

This document maintains economic arrangements that connect the royal family in the capital city to a small business in a faraway town.
The document asserts Violant’s role as an economic manager of the territories in her portfolio.

What was it like to be a miller in fourteenth-century Catalonia?
How common was it for the royal family to finance rebuilding projects like this?
Was this mill in Siblla’s portfolio before 1387?
Did Violant see this as a very easy thing to do or were there any complications that made this action less straightforward than it appears?
How much money was involved?

The area around Torroella de Montgrí looks like a fabulous place to visit and the Chapel of Saint Anthony, in the old city center, the Plaça de la vila, has a profile on the region’s tourism website.

It is possible that the mill discussed in today’s document is the same structure as the one that has been renovated to become a chic hotel.

I used ChatGPT to help with my translation of this document.

Morelló Baget, Jordi, Pere Orti Gost, and Pere Verdés Pijuan, eds. Renda feudal i fiscalitat a la Catalunya baixmedieval: estudis dedicats a Manuel Sánchez Martínez. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 2018.
Orti Gost, Pere, and Pere Verdés Pijuan, eds. El sistema financiero a finales de la Edad Media: agentes, instrumentos y métodos. Universitat de València, 2020.