Early Assemblies and the Curia Regia in Medieval Spain

The Rise of Citizen Assemblies in Medieval Europe

In England, the presence of citizens and "ordinary people" in assemblies coincided with the achievement of freedom and the absolute failure of the first half of the thirteenth century. After the Magna Carta, King John summoned a meeting in Oxford, attended by representatives of the counties to discuss the affairs of the kingdom.

The turnout of people from cities to the curiae convened by the Kings is located in Western Europe at various times of the thirteenth or fourteenth century. They were present in 1188 at the meeting convened by Alfonso IX in Leon, where the king met with clergy, nobles, and citizens.

Why Did Alfonso IX Convene the Meeting of 1188?

Probably, as Professor Arvizu suggests, to enlist the support of everyone at the beginning of his reign. In any case, the Leon Cortes are the first meetings of medieval Europe attended by citizens, and some of them were even elected in 1188.

The Curia Regia: Predecessor of Assemblies in Spain

In the Christian kingdoms that emerged with the Reconquista, the king held absolute power but did not exercise it alone. People from the privileged classes were integrated into a body that appeared in Catalonia under the influence of the House of Navarre. It was called the Curia Regia in Leon and Castile. Its members provided advice to the monarch and endorsed, as confirming the documents specific to the actual provisions.

The Composition and Function of the Curia Regia

The Curia Regia was originally a typical palace assembly, which comprised the main characters living in the Court or who were incidentally in it. It consisted of members of the royal family, palace officials, and various ecclesiastical and secular magnates. As time passed, legal experts, sabidores del derecho, also joined.

Convened by the monarch, the ordinary Curia exerted primarily advisory functions.

Ordinary and Extraordinary Curia

The ordinary Curia understood in its sphere of competence the issues typically presented, that is, subjects that could be called with the purpose of regular or daily administration. Exceptionally, however, issues of particular importance emerged, whose approach to and resolution in any way affected the entire kingdom. In such cases, the palace board was inadequate and inappropriate, so the monarch convened many nobles and high clergy of the various territories. This resulted in a great assembly known as the extraordinary or full Curia.

Members of the Full Curia

The Full Curia also comprised the nobles and ecclesiastics who were part of the ordinary Curia, along with the magnates of districts and bishops, abbots, and masters of the Military Orders of Calatrava, Uclés, and Temple.