Gesta comitum Barcinonensium facts for kids

The Gesta comitum Barcinonensium et regum Aragoniae is a special history book written in Latin. Its name means "Deeds of the Counts of Barcelona and Kings of Aragon." Monks from the Santa Maria de Ripoll monastery wrote it in three main parts.

This book tells the story of the rulers of Catalonia, starting with the Counts of Barcelona. It begins with Wifred I (who ruled from 878 to 897) and goes all the way to James II (who ruled from 1291 to 1327), ending around the year 1299. The Gesta was written to celebrate the House of Barcelona, which was the ruling family.

The monks wanted to show that the Counts of Barcelona were related to Charlemagne, a very famous emperor. By doing this, they hoped to explain why the counts could make their own decisions, even though the King of France was technically their boss. The Gesta is like the main timeline for understanding this important family.

How the Book Was Written

The Gesta was created over many years. It was not written all at once.

First Part of the Story

The first part of the book was written between 1162 and 1184. This section covered the reigns of the counts up to Raymond Berengar IV, who ruled from 1131 to 1162.

Later Updates

Much later, in the late 1200s, the book was updated. It then included the rule of James I, who was king from 1213 to 1276.

A shorter version of the book was also made. This version was written in the Catalan language sometime between 1268 and 1283.

Final Version

The very last Latin version of the Gesta was finished between 1303 and 1314. This final book included the stories of:

• Peter the Great (1276–1287)
• Alfonso the Generous (1287–1291)
• James II (1291–1327)

Where the Books Are Today

Most of the original copies of the Gesta that we have today are from later times, not the very first writings. You can find these important historical documents in several places:

• The Archive of the Crown of Aragon
• The National Library of Catalonia
• The National Library of France

One copy from the National Library of France was taken to France by a person named Pierre de Marca. It was then published in 1688 by Étienne Baluze, making it available for more people to read.

See also

In Spanish: Gesta comitum barchinensium para niños