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Donation for the restoration of the Headquarters

Date
875 - 877
Archive
Chapter Archive of the Cathedral of Barcelona
Document type
Textual
Reference code
CAT ACB 3-3-1
Link to the archive
Description

This parchment, dated 877, is the oldest document preserved in the Barcelona Chapter Archives. In it, Emperor Charles the Bald sends, through the Jew Judas, a donation of ten pounds of silver to Bishop Frodoí for the restoration of the Barcelona See, in gratitude for the loyalty of its inhabitants. This imperial gesture reflects the strategic and symbolic importance of Barcelona within the Carolingian Empire, as well as the central role of the Church in the consolidation of power and territorial cohesion. The document is also witness to the Jewish presence in the commercial and diplomatic networks of the time. This exceptional piece connects us with the origins of early medieval Catalonia and with a Europe that was built through political, religious and cultural alliances, where the city of Barcelona was beginning to emerge as a center of power and spirituality.