The Kingdom of Galicia in the texts (413- 1845) III. The Division of the Realm.

Previously: https://budgetpixel.com/blog/the-kingdom-of-galicia-in-the-texts-413-1845-ii-the-princes-of-gallicia-move-the-seat-to-león?v=1778236190291 THE BURGUNDIAN PERIOD: FROM THE SOVEREIGNTY OF RAYMOND TO THE RISE OF THE HOUSE OF CASTRO. • COUNT RAYMOND OF BURGUNDY, DOMINUS, PRINCEPS & IMPERATOR GALLICI Æ ( 1090-1107 ). To understand the Kingdom of Galicia from the end of the 11th century onwards, it is essential to acknowledge the royal dignity with which the sources closest to its administration define Count Raymond of Burgundy. This authority is synthesized by Elisardo Temperán as follows: “Diego Gelmírez was the first Archbishop of Santiago. He was born, possibly in Santiago de Compostela, between 1067 and 1070; at around 24 years of age, he became the notary and secretary of Count Raymond, King of Galicia.” (Elisardo Temperán Villaverde: "La Liturgia propia de Santiago en el Códice Calixtino", 1997, p. 24, nota 19) . This record not only recognizes the title of King of Galicia for Raymond but also places the origins of Diego Gelmírez's political project at the very heart of his court. This framework of sovereignty marks the beginning of the Burgundian stage, a period in which the kingdom articulated its de facto independence under its own elite. The Kingdom of Galicia: Sovereignty and Identity in the Burgundian Period The formulas used by Raymond of Burgundy and Urraca —such as imperator/imperatrix , princeps , and dominus —are often downplayed by official historiography as subordinate to Alfonso VI’s title of imperator totius Hispanie . However, the primary sources reveal a deliberate intent to assert a sovereign dignity above any other authority save the Emperor himself, highlighting several key historical realities: 1. Distinct Entities: Hispania and Gallecia were recognized as two distinct geopolitical entities. This distinction dates back to 411/413 AD, when Galicia became the first kingdom in Western Europe—a historical fact often obscured in academic curricula to erase two centuries of independent peninsular history. 2. Ecclesiastical Independence: The sees of Iria-Compostela and Braga never accepted the authority of Toledo. Instead, they claimed their own apostolic primacy. The fall and subsequent recovery of Toledo by Arab forces fueled a long-standing confrontation between these sees, explaining the historiographical distortions used to justify Castilian centralism. 3. The Nature of Power: Raymond did not hold a mere administrative tenencia ; he received Galicia as a sovereign dowry through his marriage to Urraca. This consolidated the territories of Lugo, Iria, and Mondoñedo under a single authority—often linked to the House of Trastámara, Lemos, and the pertigueiría of Santiago—creating one of the most powerful jurisdictions on the Peninsula. 4. Sovereign Titles: The dual nature of the realm is explicitly documented in royal intitulations: “ego Urracha, Dei gratia totius Hispaniæ et Galleciæ regina... ego Adefonsus... Hispaniæ et Galleciæ Rex.” This underscores that the Emperor of Hispania did not possess sufficient land or legitimacy in Galicia to rule it without the specific homage of the Galician Church and nobility—a structural tension that would define the following centuries. « He (Alfonso VI) had three daughters, one legitimate and two natural, he married the first, named Urraca, to Raymond of Burgundy, and gave him as a dowry the Principality of Galicia [...] » ( Anonymous : "Annales", 1479). • « ego Raimundus Dei gratia comes et totius Gallecie dominus » « I Raymond, by the grace of God count and lord of all Galicia » (Coimbra Livro Preto 82, y. 1094) • « ego comes Raimundus totius Gallecie senior et dominus » « I, Count Raymond, lord and master of all Galicia » (Santiago de Compostela Tumbo A nº 72, y. 1095) • « serenissimus totius Gallecie comes R(aimundus) » « The most serene count of all Galicia, Raymond » (Carboeiro CD 3 nº 4/34, y. 1096) • « Ego Raymundus debito PRINCIPATUS honore TOTIUS GALETIE comes ac domnus » « I Raymond, with the honor of Principality due to ALL GALICIA , count and lord » ( Santiago de Compostela , y. 1098) • « ego infante Urraca, legionesis regis et toletani imperatoris filia, pariter cum consensu et precepto viri mei comitis totius Galletie domni Raimundi et filii nostri et vox nostra [---] » « I, the Infanta Urraca, daughter of the Leonese king and Toledan emperor, equally with the consent and precept of my husband, Lord Raymond, count of all Galicia, and of our son and our lineage [...] » (Samos Tumbo nº 22, y. 1102) • « regnante rege Adefonso prole Fernandi cum Helisabeth uxore sua in Legione et in Toleto, Regimundo comite cum infante domna Urraca in provincia Gallecie, comite Froila imperante Sarria [---] » « Reigning King Alfonso, son of Fernando, with his wife Isabel in León and in Toledo; Count Raymond with the Infanta Lady Urraca in the province of Galicia; Count Froila commanding in Sarria [...] » (Samos Tumbo nº 236, y. 1103) • « regnante Adefonsus rex Fredinandiz in Toletula cum Legione imperante et eius gener Raymundus comes Gallecia, sub suo imperio Suarius Ueremudiz comes in Rabadi [---] » « Reigning King Alfonso, son of Fernando, commanding in Toledo together with León, and his son-in-law Count Raymond in Galicia; under his empire, Count Suero Bermúdez in Rábade [---] » (Lourenzá Tumbo 191, y. 1104) • « serenissimus totius Gallecie comes Raimundus » « The most serene count of all Galicia, Raymond » (Samos Tumbo nº 85, y. 1104) • « Ego quidam comes Raimundus, imperatoris Adefonsi gener et totius Gallecie dominus » « I, Count Raymond, son-in-law of the Emperor Alfonso and lord of all Galicia » (Santiago de Compostela, y. 1105) • « ego comes Raymundus totius Gallecie dominus » « I, Count Raymond, lord of all Galicia » (Mondoñedo CD 9, y. 1106) • « ego quiddam comes Raimundus totius Gallacie domnus una cum coniuge mea donna Urraca Adefonsi totius Ispanie imperatoris filia » « I, Count Raymond, lord of all Galicia, together with my wife Lady Urraca, daughter of Alfonso, emperor of all Spain » (Tui, y. 1106) • « Reimundus regni totius Gallecie comes regisque gener confirmo » « Raymond, count of the kingdom of all Galicia and son-in-law of the king, I confirm » (Santiago de Compostela, Tumbo C nº 2, ano 1107) • « ego consul dominus Raymundus totius Galleti æ princeps » « I, the consul Lord Raymond, prince of all Galicia » (Santiago de Compostela, Tumbo C nº 4, y. 1107) • « ego consul domnus Raimundus, totius Gallecie princeps et piissimi regis domni Adefonsi Toleto regnantis gener » « I, the consul Lord Raymond, prince of all Galicia and son-in-law of the most pious king Lord Alfonso, reigning in Toledo » (Santiago de Compostela Tumbo A nº 77, y. 1107) • « ego comes domnus Raymundus totius Galleci æ imperator » « I, Count Lord Raymond, emperor of all Galicia » (Santiago de Compostela Tumbo C nº 3, ano 1107) The Sovereignty of the Kingdom: Analysis of the Primary Sources of Raymond of Burgundy The analysis of this series of primary sources allows us to draw conclusions that challenge traditional historiography and place the Kingdom of Galicia as a first-rate political entity in the 12th-century European context. The key points emerging from these documents are: 1. Territorial Unity: "Totius Galleciae" The almost obsessive repetition of the term "Totius Galleciae" (All Galicia) across all dioceses (Santiago, Mondoñedo, Tui, Coimbra, Lugo) proves that Galicia was not a cluster of scattered counties, but a compact political and jurisdictional unit . From the Cantabrian Sea to the Mondego River, there was a clear consciousness that the Kingdom possessed defined borders and a single command. 2. Diversity of Sovereign Titles Raymond did not limit himself to a mere administrative title. The alternation of Princeps, Consul, Imperator, Senior, and Dominus reveals a deliberate intent to assert original sovereignty. Princeps and Imperator: These indicate that he recognized no hierarchical superior within Galician soil. Consul: This title links his authority to the classical tradition of supreme magistracy, granting him a veneer of European prestige. 3. Galicia vs. Spain (Gallecia vs. Hispania) Several documents (such as the 1106 Tui charter) explicitly separate the Empire of Spain (Alfonso VI in Toledo) from the Dominion of Galicia (Raymond and Urraca). This distinction is fundamental: Alfonso VI is recognized as a superior figure in the dynastic hierarchy, but Galicia is described as a distinct political space with its own rights and laws. Galicia and Spain are treated as two entities that coexist but are not to be confused. 4. The "Sub Imperio" System The Lourenzá document (1104) shows that Raymond exercised his own potestas over the Galician nobility ( sub suo imperio ). This means that high-ranking magnates (such as the Bermúdez family) paid direct homage to Raymond. The Kingdom of Galicia possessed its own feudal pyramid, independent of that of León or Castile. 5. Legitimacy "Dei Gratia" The use of the formula "by the grace of God" in Coimbra (1094) is definitive proof that Raymond did not view himself as a simple royal official. This formula was reserved for those who exercised a sovereign power that did not depend solely on human delegation, but on a dignity inherent to the office of the Lord of Galicia. Conclusion: The documentation of Raymond of Burgundy describes a Sovereign Principality that operated as a de facto State. The importance of Santiago de Compostela as the center of this chancery, supported by figures like Diego Gelmírez , was the engine that allowed Galicia to maintain this regal identity throughout the Burgundian period. After the premature death of Raymond of Burgundy (y. 1107), Urraca assumed the government of Galicia until the coronation as King of Galicia of her son Alfonso VII (Santiago de Compostela, y. 1111). • « Regimundo comite cum infante domna Urraca in provincia Gallecie » « Count Raymond with the Infanta Lady Urraca in the province of Galicia » (Samos, y. 1103). • « ego infanta domna Vrraca, Adefonsi imperatoris filia, et totius Galleti æ domina » « I, the Infanta Lady Urraca, daughter of the Emperor Alfonso, and mistress [sovereign lady] of all Galicia » (Santiago Tumbo C nº 5, y. 1107) • « ego infanta Urracha Adefonsis magni toletani imperatoris filia tocius Galletie imperatrix » « I, the Infanta Urraca, daughter of the great Toledan emperor Alfonso, empress of all Galicia » (Lugo, Tumbo Vello 25, y. 1107) • ALFONSUS VII, REX & IMPERATOR GALLICIÆ AND IMPERATOR HISPANIÆ ( 1090-1107 ). A Historic Milestone on Television: The Coronation of the King of Galicia For the first time, Spanish public television (RTVE) broadcast a reconstruction of the coronation of Alfonso VII as King of Galicia (1111). This scene from the series El final del camino visually acknowledges a historical truth long suppressed by centralist narratives: that Galicia was a sovereign realm with its own royal unction and throne. The image captures the young monarch flanked by his mother, Queen Urraca, and the powerful Archbishop Gelmírez, symbolizing the political and religious independence that the House of Traba defended with the sword. • « ANFUS REX » The Stone and the Parchment: The Legitimacy of the Galician King Visible on the left side of this Romanesque sculpture at the Praterías Façade of the Cathedral of Santiago, the inscription «ANFVS REX» (King Alfonso) stands as a permanent testament to Galician sovereignty. Carved into the very stone of the Apostolic Cathedral, likely around the time of his coronation in 1111, it served as a public declaration to the medieval world: Galicia was a sovereign realm with its own legitimate monarch. This "monumental propaganda" linked the crown of Galicia directly to the authority of Saint James, defying any claims of subordination to other peninsular powers. • « ego Urracha , Dei gratia totius Hispaniæ et Galleciæ regina conf.- ego Adefonsus huius reginæ filius Hispaniæ et Galleciæ Rex et Toletani imperatoris domini Adefonsi nepos conf. » « I, Urracha, by the grace of God, Queen of all Spain and Galicia, confirm. I, Adefonsus, son of this Queen, King of Spain and Galicia and grandson of the Emperor of Toledo, Lord Adefonsus, confirm » ( Manuel Lucas Álvarez : "El Monasterio de San Martiño Pinario de Santiago de Compostela en la Edad Media" , Galicia medieval: Fontes. Publicacións do Seminario de Estudos Galegos, 6, Edicións do Castro, Sada-A Coruña, 2003, pp. 184 - 188 [Santiago, an. 1115]). By 1115, official documents like those from the Monastery of San Martiño Pinario confirm this dual status: Alfonso titles himself "King of Hispania and Galicia," explicitly distinguishing the two realms and grounding his authority in his Galician coronation and his lineage as the grandson of the "Toledan Emperor." • « Imperator quippe Galitiæ Sarracenos et ipse congreditur » « The Emperor of Galicia himself also goes out to battle against the Saracens » ( "Annales Cameracenses. A. 1158-1159" , MGH, vol. XVI, Georgius Heinricus Pertz, Hannover, 1858). • « Hanc solemnitatem celeberrime observabat Adelfonsus rex Galliciæ ; quia corpus apostoli III Kal. Ianuarii susceperat Galecia » « This solemnity was most famously observed by Alfonso, King of Galicia; because Galicia had received the body of the Apostle on the 30th of December » ( Helinandus Frigidi Montis : "Patrologia Latina. Chronicon. LIBER XLVIII" , vol. 212, J.-P. Migne, Paris 1855). • « ego Aldefonsus dei gratia rex Legionis et Gallecie » « I Alfonso, by the grace of God, King of León and Galicia » (Ourense, y. 1131; Toxosoutos, y. 1135). • « Temporibus Didaci, archiepiscopi Iacobite, et Adefonsi, imperatoris Yspanie et Galletie, et Calixti pape. [...] Yspaniam et Galleciam » « In the times of Diego, Archbishop of Santiago, and Alfonso, Emperor of Spain and Galicia, and Pope Calixtus. [...] Spain and Galicia » ("Codex Calixtinus. Lib. V.v", y. 1130-1145). • « imperante Adefonsus imperator in Gallecia » The Hollow Empire: Alfonso VII and the Galician Reality By 1154, as shown in the documents from the Monastery of Caaveiro , the title of Alfonso VII as "Emperor" had become a formal protocol rather than a political reality in Galicia. While he titled himself Imperator Hispanie in Toledo, the actual governance of the Galician realm had transitioned into the hands of the great noble houses, specifically the House of Traba (first Pedro and then Fernando). This textual evidence suggests that Galicia operated as a de facto independent Principality, eventually forcing Alfonso VII to recognize in his will (1157) that the Empire could not be maintained as a single unit, leading to the restoration of a specific monarch for the Kingdom of Galicia .