Diego Gelmírez
Encyclopedia
Diego Gelmírez (ca 1069 – ca 1149) was the second bishop
(from 1100) and first archbishop
(from 1120) of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain
. He is a prominent figure in the history of Galicia and an important historiographer of the Spain of his day. Diego involved himself in many quarrels, ecclesiastical and secular, which were recounted in the Historia Compostelana
, which covered his episcopacy from 1100 to 1139 and serves as a sort of gesta of the bishop's life.
He was probably born at Catoira
, where his father, Gelmiro or Xelmirio, was the custodian of the castle. He received an education at the court of Alfonso VI of Castile
. In 1092, Raymond, count of Galicia, named him his notary and secretary and in 1093 he was the administrator of the Compostelan church. In 1094, Dalmatius was appointed the first bishop of Compostela. Dalmatius died the next year (1095) and the people of the see requested the king nominate Diego administrator again during the vacancy. In 1099, the pope
authorised a new episcopal election and Diego was chosen the next year. He was anointed the second bishop of Compostela in 1101. During his tenure, he was given secular rule of the city by Alfonso and he strove to make Compostela a major pilgrimage destination
, which he did. He increased the prestige of his see and the volume of pilgrims on the road to Compostela.
In 1107 Pedro Fróilaz de Traba
, the guardian of the heir, Alfonso Raimúndez, rebelled against Queen Urraca and her new husband, Alfonso the Battler
. According to the Historia, he was opposed by a "brotherhood" (germanitas) led by the knight Arias Pérez
and Diego Gelmírez, who had known each other since childhood. Diego Gelmírez had accepted the leadership of the brotherhood late in 1109 or early in 1110. In 1110 a truce between Pedro and the brotherhood was broken when the former took over the south Galician fortress of Castrelo de Miño
and installed a garrison there under his wife Urraca and the young Alfonso. Arias promptly besieged it, and Pedro came to defend it. The besieged called on Diego to negotiate terms of surrender, which he did, but the brotherhood had grown suspicious of him and when a deal was struck Arias had Diego, Pedro, and Alfonso all arrested. In exchange for the castles of Oeste
and Lanzada, they were all soon released and Diego went over to the separatists. In 1111, Diego crowned Alfonso Raimúndez King of Galicia in opposition to Urraca and her husband.
Late in 1113, when the royal court was in Galicia, Arias was inciting Urraca against Diego. Urraca deprived him of his secular authority at the request of the people, who agitated for communal rights, but she reinstated him in his temporal powers within a year and even exempted him from all military service to the crown and extended his charge over the whole diocese.
In 1120, Pope Callixtus II
elevated Diego and his see to archiepiscopal rank and appointed him papal legate
to Spain. That same year, according to the Historia, Urraca ordered the leading men (principes) of Galicia, including Arias Pérez, to do homage
(hominium) to Diego Gelmírez as "their lord, their patron, their king and their prince, saving their fealty to the queen" and recognise his rule (dominio). In 1121, however, after Diego had renewed his alliance with the Pedro Fróilaz de Traba, his power appeared to threaten that of the queen. In the summer of 1121 she had Diego arrested at Castrelo in collaboration with Arias Pérez. Diego was imprisoned for a while, but the support of the people, which he had been cultivating, compelled his release. Sometime in 1121 Muño Peláez
built an "adulterine" (i.e. illegal) castle on the river Iso near Compostela. The Historia Compostelana calls it a "den of robbers and bandits", and Diego managed to raze it to the ground soon after it was built.
In the spring of 1126, shortly after Urraca's death and the accession of Alfonso, Arias led a rebellion in Galicia. Diego Gelmírez and Gómez Núñez of Toroño or perhaps Gutierre Vermúdez
were charged per litteras ("by letter") with putting it down. Diego besieged Arias in Lobeiro and, with siege engines, in Tabeirós, forcing him to surrender. Diego's opinion of Arias was such that he said to him: "I fear, therefore, that if such that you are you leave this world, you will lose eternal life and incur the perpetual condemnation of your soul."
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
(from 1100) and first archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
(from 1120) of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. He is a prominent figure in the history of Galicia and an important historiographer of the Spain of his day. Diego involved himself in many quarrels, ecclesiastical and secular, which were recounted in the Historia Compostelana
Historia Compostelana
The anonymous Historia Compostelana is based on the relation of events by a writer in the immediate circle of Diego Gelmírez, second bishop then first archbishop of Compostela, one of the major figures of the Middle Ages in Galicia...
, which covered his episcopacy from 1100 to 1139 and serves as a sort of gesta of the bishop's life.
He was probably born at Catoira
Catoira
Catoira is a municipality in Galicia , in the province of Pontevedra. Catoira is also known because of Torres do Oeste ruins.-Local festivals:The most important celebrations include...
, where his father, Gelmiro or Xelmirio, was the custodian of the castle. He received an education at the court of Alfonso VI of Castile
Alfonso VI of Castile
Alfonso VI , nicknamed the Brave or the Valiant, was King of León from 1065, King of Castile and de facto King of Galicia from 1072, and self-proclaimed "Emperor of all Spain". After the conquest of Toledo he was also self-proclaimed victoriosissimo rege in Toleto, et in Hispania et Gallecia...
. In 1092, Raymond, count of Galicia, named him his notary and secretary and in 1093 he was the administrator of the Compostelan church. In 1094, Dalmatius was appointed the first bishop of Compostela. Dalmatius died the next year (1095) and the people of the see requested the king nominate Diego administrator again during the vacancy. In 1099, the pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
authorised a new episcopal election and Diego was chosen the next year. He was anointed the second bishop of Compostela in 1101. During his tenure, he was given secular rule of the city by Alfonso and he strove to make Compostela a major pilgrimage destination
Way of St. James
The Way of St. James or St. James' Way is the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried....
, which he did. He increased the prestige of his see and the volume of pilgrims on the road to Compostela.
In 1107 Pedro Fróilaz de Traba
Pedro Fróilaz de Traba
Pedro Fróilaz de Traba was the most powerful secular magnate in the Kingdom of Galicia during the first quarter of the twelfth century. According to the Historia compostelana, he was "spirited ... warlike ... of great power .....
, the guardian of the heir, Alfonso Raimúndez, rebelled against Queen Urraca and her new husband, Alfonso the Battler
Alfonso the Battler
Alfonso I , called the Battler or the Warrior , was the king of Aragon and Navarre from 1104 until his death in 1134. He was the second son of King Sancho Ramírez and successor of his brother Peter I...
. According to the Historia, he was opposed by a "brotherhood" (germanitas) led by the knight Arias Pérez
Arias Pérez
Arias Pérez or Peres was a Galician knight and military leader in the Kingdom of León. According to modern scholar Richard Fletcher, he was "active, resourceful, spirited and persuasive", and the contemporary Historia compostellana says that he was "so eloquent that he could turn black into white...
and Diego Gelmírez, who had known each other since childhood. Diego Gelmírez had accepted the leadership of the brotherhood late in 1109 or early in 1110. In 1110 a truce between Pedro and the brotherhood was broken when the former took over the south Galician fortress of Castrelo de Miño
Castrelo de Miño
Castrelo de Miño is a municipality in Ourense in the Galicia region of north-west Spain. It is a small area and lies in the western part of the province....
and installed a garrison there under his wife Urraca and the young Alfonso. Arias promptly besieged it, and Pedro came to defend it. The besieged called on Diego to negotiate terms of surrender, which he did, but the brotherhood had grown suspicious of him and when a deal was struck Arias had Diego, Pedro, and Alfonso all arrested. In exchange for the castles of Oeste
Oeste
Oeste, is a NUTS 3 sub-region of the NUTS 2 Centro Region of Portugal. The sub-region is coterminous with the Comunidade Intermunicipal do Oeste of the same name...
and Lanzada, they were all soon released and Diego went over to the separatists. In 1111, Diego crowned Alfonso Raimúndez King of Galicia in opposition to Urraca and her husband.
Late in 1113, when the royal court was in Galicia, Arias was inciting Urraca against Diego. Urraca deprived him of his secular authority at the request of the people, who agitated for communal rights, but she reinstated him in his temporal powers within a year and even exempted him from all military service to the crown and extended his charge over the whole diocese.
In 1120, Pope Callixtus II
Pope Callixtus II
Pope Calixtus II , born Guy de Vienne, the fourth son of William I, Count of Burgundy , was elected Pope on February 1, 1119, after the death of Pope Gelasius II . His pontificate was shaped by the Investiture Controversy, which he was able to settle through the Concordat of Worms...
elevated Diego and his see to archiepiscopal rank and appointed him papal legate
Papal legate
A papal legate – from the Latin, authentic Roman title Legatus – is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholic Church. He is empowered on matters of Catholic Faith and for the settlement of ecclesiastical matters....
to Spain. That same year, according to the Historia, Urraca ordered the leading men (principes) of Galicia, including Arias Pérez, to do homage
Homage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
(hominium) to Diego Gelmírez as "their lord, their patron, their king and their prince, saving their fealty to the queen" and recognise his rule (dominio). In 1121, however, after Diego had renewed his alliance with the Pedro Fróilaz de Traba, his power appeared to threaten that of the queen. In the summer of 1121 she had Diego arrested at Castrelo in collaboration with Arias Pérez. Diego was imprisoned for a while, but the support of the people, which he had been cultivating, compelled his release. Sometime in 1121 Muño Peláez
Muño Peláez
Muño or Munio Peláez was a Galician magnate during the reigns of Alfonso VI, Urraca and Alfonso VII. By December 1108 he held the title of comes , the highest in the kingdom. He was a son of Pelayo Gómez, son of Gómez Díaz de Carrión and Teresa Peláez, and Elvira Muñoz, daughter of Muño Rodríguez...
built an "adulterine" (i.e. illegal) castle on the river Iso near Compostela. The Historia Compostelana calls it a "den of robbers and bandits", and Diego managed to raze it to the ground soon after it was built.
In the spring of 1126, shortly after Urraca's death and the accession of Alfonso, Arias led a rebellion in Galicia. Diego Gelmírez and Gómez Núñez of Toroño or perhaps Gutierre Vermúdez
Gutierre Vermúdez
Gutierre Vermúdez was a nobleman of the Kingdom of León, with interests primarily in Galicia, mainly in the northeast, around Lugo. He was a strong and loyal supporter of both Queen Urraca and the Emperor Alfonso VII .Gutierre was a son of Vermudo Ovéquiz, a son of Count Oveco Vermúdez...
were charged per litteras ("by letter") with putting it down. Diego besieged Arias in Lobeiro and, with siege engines, in Tabeirós, forcing him to surrender. Diego's opinion of Arias was such that he said to him: "I fear, therefore, that if such that you are you leave this world, you will lose eternal life and incur the perpetual condemnation of your soul."
Sources
- Biggs, Anselm Gordon. Diego Xelmírez. Xerais, 1983. ISBN 84-7507-100-7
- Reilly, Bernard F. The Kingdom of León-Castilla under Queen Urraca.
- Reilly, Bernard F. "The Historia Compostelana: The Genesis and Composition of a Twelfth-Century Spanish Gesta," in SpeculumSpeculum (journal)Speculum: A Journal of Medieval Studies is a quarterly academic journal published by the Medieval Academy of America. It was established in 1926. The journal's primary focus is on the time period from 500-1500 in Western Europe, but also on related subjects such as Byzantine, Hebrew, Arabic, and...
44 (1969): pp 78–85 - Vones, Ludwig , Die 'Historia Compostelana und die Kirchenpolitik des nordwestspanischen Raumes (Cologne, 1980)
- Falque, Emma, "The Manuscript Transmission of the 'Historia Compostellana," in ManuscriptaManuscriptaManuscripta is a biannual academic journal published by the Knights of Columbus' Vatican Film Library. It was established in 1957 and covers topics related to the study of medieval and renaissance manuscripts. The journal is printed and distributed by Brepols Publishers....
(1985): pp 80–90