The ‘Fuero de Brihuega’ from the 13th century disappeared in the Civil War, when a soldier took it to prevent it from being destroyed during the battle in this small town of Guadalajara
Thanks to the legacy of a soldier who took part in the civil war, the ‘Fuero de Brihuega’ (Guadalajara), a document from 1242, was able to be returned to the city from which he rescued it in 1938. It is an incalculable codex value, which, despite its age and the ups and downs it has endured over the centuries, is in a good state of preservation.
The codex dates back to the mid-13th century, when Rodrigo Ximénez de Rada, Archbishop of Toledo, granted jurisdiction to the city of Brihuega. Consisting of over 70 pages, the volume is written on parchment and protected by two thick walnut planks joined at the bottom edge with four sturdy strips of sheepskin. The document contains both the archbishop’s signature and that of other ecclesiastical authorities who signed it later.
In addition, the codex contains a curious type of letter that paleographers call “French,” with different colors and interlocking ornaments typical of the miniatures of the time. It also emphasizes a simple border of strokes of different colors hugging three sides of the first page.
Jurisdiction, which includes a set of legal regulations and the severe penalties to be imposed on those who fail to comply with them, was handed over this Friday by the Guardia Civil to the mayor of Brihuega, Luis Viejo Esteban, in a solemn deed that was kept. in the Noble Hall of the castle of Piedra Bermeja, of Arab descent, from this place.
The recent history of this codex dates back to late 1938 when Franco’s troops captured Brihuega. One of the soldiers who took part in this action took it, along with other books, to prevent it from going up in flames during the battle. Over the years, he expressed his last will to his son: that the ‘Jurisdiction of Brihuega’ be returned to its rightful owner: this city of 2,400 inhabitants, something that became a reality this Friday, 84 years after he “left” from this village.
The auction house Soler y Llach in Barcelona also contributed to the recovery of this codex, which made it easier for him to maintain contact with the Historical Heritage Department of the Central Operations Unit of the Guardia Civil.
The document now recovered has been identified thanks to the work of Juan Catalina García, professor of archaeology, who was able to study it before it disappeared in 1938 and published a book in 1887 describing it in detail.
Following the return of the codex and the return to Brihuega, the Guardia Civil recalls that the holders of cultural objects who have in their possession documents of which they cannot prove their lawful origin trust this body in order to return canañizar to the competent administration and thus guarantee its enjoyment by all citizens, something that will be possible from now on in this city of Guadalajara.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
