Libraries and Books Used by Cathedral Clergy in Castile During the Thirteenth Century

This article seeks to delineate the cultural interests of the cathedral chapters in Castile during the thirteenth century by examining three extant library inventories (from Burgo de Osma, Zamora, and Salamanca) and 138 references to books owned by clergymen which appear in the documents of five cathedrals (Burgos, León, Zamora, Salamanca, and Burgo de Osma). In comparison with other Western European cathedrals, the average number of books owned by the clergy is somewhat small. However, the kind of books that circulated in the Castilian cathedral chapters was similar to those owned by their European counterparts. With regard to the books used by the Castilian clergymen, their interests seem more limited. They possessed primarily the basic collections of canon and civil law, secondly the standard liturgical manuals, and thirdly the commentaries on the Bible written by Church Fathers and Early Christian authors. By contrast, the contents of the extant library inventories reveal wider cultural interests. The legal books and the theology of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, as well as the genres of summas and sermons, are represented by significant authors, although some important theologians of the second half of the thirteenth century are conspicuous by their absence. On the other hand, the small number of volumes devoted to the Liberal Arts and the emphasis on Biblical commentaries reflect the scholarly character of these libraries. Unlike some of their European counterparts, the Castilian cathedral chapters continued to stress the study of the Bible and of canon law. Both of these disciplines enabled the cathedral clergy to hold the royal and ecclesiastical positions that they enjoyed in Castile during the thirteenth century.This article seeks to delineate the cultural interests of the cathedral chapters in Castile during the thirteenth century by examining three extant library inventories (from Burgo de Osma, Zamora, and Salamanca) and 138 references to books owned by clergymen which appear in the documents of five cathedrals (Burgos, León, Zamora, Salamanca, and Burgo de Osma). In comparison with other Western European cathedrals, the average number of books owned by the clergy is somewhat small. However, the kind of books that circulated in the Castilian cathedral chapters was similar to those owned by their European counterparts. With regard to the books used by the Castilian clergymen, their interests seem more limited. They possessed primarily the basic collections of canon and civil law, secondly the standard liturgical manuals, and thirdly the commentaries on the Bible written by Church Fathers and Early Christian authors. By contrast, the contents of the extant library inventories reveal wider cultural interests. The legal books and the theology of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, as well as the genres of summas and sermons, are represented by significant authors, although some important theologians of the second half of the thirteenth century are conspicuous by their absence. On the other hand, the small number of volumes devoted to the Liberal Arts and the emphasis on Biblical commentaries reflect the scholarly character of these libraries. Unlike some of their European counterparts, the Castilian cathedral chapters continued to stress the study of the Bible and of canon law. Both of these disciplines enabled the cathedral clergy to hold the royal and ecclesiastical positions that they enjoyed in Castile during the thirteenth century.El presente artículo trata de perfilar los intereses culturales de los cabildos catedralicios castellanos durante el siglo XIII. Para ello, se analizan tres inventarios conservados de dicha centuria (Burgo de Osma, Zamora y Salamanca) y 138 referencias a libros, propiedad de miembros del clero que aparecen en la documentación conservada de cinco catedrales castellano-leonesas (Burgos, León, Salamanca, Zamora y Burgo de Osma). Si establecemos una comparación con otras catedrales del Occidente medieval, el promedio de libros en manos del clero catedralicio resulta inferior. Sin embargo, el tipo de libros que circulaban en los cabildos catedralicios castellanos es similar al de sus homólogos europeos. Si atendemos a los libros usados por el clero castellano, los intereses del mismo parecen ser más limitados. En primer lugar, este clero catedralicio poseía las colecciones básicas del derecho civil y canónico. En segundo lugar, poseía los manuales litúrgicos de uso común. En tercer lugar, manejaban los comentarios de la Biblia elaborados por la teología tradicional (Padres de la Iglesia y primeros autores cristianos). Por el contrario, si atendemos a los inventarios analizados, las bibliotecas catedralicias revelan unos intereses culturales más amplios. Los libros del derecho y la teología de los siglos XII y XIII, así como los géneros de las summae y sermones están representados por autores de relieve, si bien es notoria la ausencia de teólogos importantes de la segunda mitad del siglo XIII. Por otra parte, los libros de las Artes Liberales, aunque escasos, junto con los comentarios biblicos son un reflejo del carácter escolar de estas bibliotecas. Al contrario que otras catedrales europeas, los cabildos catedralicios castellanos continuaron enfatizando el estudio de la Biblia y el derecho canónico. Ambas disciplinas, no obstante, preparaban al clero catedralicio para ocupar los puestos politicos y eclesiásticos de que disfrutó a lo largo del siglo XIII

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