Synod of Jaca (1063) facts for kids
In 1063, an important meeting called the Synod of Jaca took place. King Ramiro I of Aragon helped organize it, and the Archbishop of Auch led the discussions. This meeting was held in the town of Jaca.
At the time, the old church area of Huesca (called a diocese) was controlled by Muslim rulers from Zaragoza. So, the leaders decided to bring back this church area in Jaca instead. Jaca quickly grew into an important city because of this.
Many important church leaders attended the meeting. They came from places like Gascony, Navarre, and Aragon. Many of Jaca's first new residents were from Gascony.
The synod made several big decisions:
- They set the borders for the church area, both for then and for the future, after more land was taken back from Muslim control (this was called the reconquista).
- They decided that the priests (called canons) in Jaca would follow a special set of rules called the Augustinian Rule. This rule was also introduced in royal churches in places like Siresa, Loarre, Montearagón, and Alquézar.
- They made some changes to the monasteries of San Juan de la Peña and San Victorián de Huesca.
- They replaced the old church service style (the Visigothic liturgy) with the Roman rite, which is still used by the Catholic Church today.
- A new, beautiful church, San Pedro Apóstol, was officially opened in Jaca.
At the meeting, King Ramiro promised to give the church in Jaca a small part (one-thirtieth) of all the money he collected. This included money from both Christian and Muslim people who paid taxes to him. It also included special payments (called parias) from cities like Zaragoza and Tudela.
The king said:
We give to God and Saint Peter a tenth of all our gold, silver, grain, and wine. Also, a part of whatever our people, both Christian and Muslim, give to us from all the villages and castles. From the payments we get from Zaragoza and Tudela, we give a third of a tenth to the church and bishop.
Sadly, King Ramiro went to fight in a battle shortly after the synod and died at the battle of Graus on May 3rd.
Some historians, like Antonio Durán Gudiol, have wondered if the official records (called acta) of this meeting are completely real. They are preserved in many copies in the church archives of Jaca and Santa María de Huesca. Some copies are very artistic. Durán Gudiol thinks the "acta" might actually be a changed record of a gift from the king and his son, Sancho Ramírez, to the church in Jaca.
Who Attended the Synod?
Many important people were at the Synod of Jaca and agreed to its decisions. Here are some of the known attendees:
- King Ramiro I of Aragon
- Archbishop Austind of Auch
- Bishop Guillem Guifré of Urgell
- Bishop Heraclius I of Tarbes
- Bishop Stephen of Oloron
- Bishop Gomesano of Calahorra
- Bishop John II of Pamplona
- Bishop Sancho of Huesca (his church area was moved to Jaca)
- Bishop Paterno of Zaragoza
- Bishop Arnulf I of Roda
- Abbot Blasco of San Juan de la Peña
- Abbot Banzo of San Andrés de Fanio
- Abbot Garuso of San Victorián de Huesca
- Prince Sancho Ramírez, the king's son and future heir
- Count Sancho Ramírez, another son of the king
- Count Sancho Galíndez
- Fortuño Sánchez
- Lope Garcés
- Some young nobles who grew up in the royal court
See also
In Spanish: Sínodo de Jaca para niños
