Season 1, Episode

Return to episodes list

Violant tells Ramon de Perellos to ignore all previous correspondence and to return to Barcelona immediately.

Today’s Document

• Subject: the recall of Ramon de Perellos from Avignon
• Date: March 4, 1387
• Day of the Week: Monday
• Language: Catalan
• Archival Reference Number: ACA CR R2053 f1v
• Link to PARES
• Place: Barcelona
• Sender: Violant
• Recipient: Ramon de Perellos, Viscount of Roda

Historical Thinking Notes

• Sourcing: to further the project of building her power as a new queen, Violant needs high quality information about the diplomatic situation in Avignon and she also needs trusted advisors; getting Ramon de Perellos to quickly journey from Avignon to Barcelona would help her in both these goals

• Contextualization: the King of France, Charles VI, was at this time 18 years old and had not yet wrested power from his uncles who had been acting as regents since 1380; the ambassadors that Violant speaks of in this letter likely came from the two uncles of the king, the Duc de Berry and Philip the Bold; the diplomatic setting of the papal court at Avignon was shaped by the larger context of the Great Western Schism

• Corroboration: the recent weeks have seen a flurry of activity having to do with managing diplomatic relationships at the papal court in Avignon; in particular, this document might connect in some way to the mission of Luchino Scarampi examined in Episode 66; the level of trust that Violant accords to Ramon de Perellos was apparent in Episode 35

• Close-Reading: this letter possibly conveys an usual urgency in the several phrases in this letter making it perfectly clear that, as in line 4’s ‘sens tardare,’ Ramon de Perellos is to return to Barcelona right away

What is this document doing?

• This document instigates a change in personnel representing the monarchs of the Crown of Aragon in Avignon.
• The document possibly transmits an unusual level of urgency and time-sensitivity to its recipient.

Questions

• How do these instructions to Ramon de Perellos relate to the initiation of Luchino Scarampi’s mission?
• What did Violant hear from the ambassadors from France that is somehow connected to the need to recall Ramon de Perellos from Avignon?
• Would Ramon de Perellos have been alarmed to get this type of communication from Violant?
• What would be soonest possible date that Ramon de Perellos would arrive to Barcelona if he left the same day as he received this letter?
• Why is Violant, and not Joan, summoning Ramon de Perellos?

Additional Notes

Today’s document appears on folio 1v of Register 2053 and I wanted to take this opportunity to share what the very beginning of the digitized register looks like on PARES. These four images show the catalog record made by the archivists, the cover page, the verso of the cover page, and folio 1r.

AI Usage

I used my newly established routine for this letter, first getting a transcription from ChatGPT, then having Claude reconcile that with its own transcription, and in the end having Claude create an English translation with footnotes to keep a record of uncertainties and ambiguities.

Bibliography

• Russell-Gebbett, Paul. Mediaeval Catalan Linguistic Texts. Dolphin Book Co., 1965.

← return to episode list