MEMORY OF THE WORLD REGISTER
The Archives of the Royal Hospital (XVth to XIXth century)
(Spain)
Ref N° 2010-76
PART A – ESSENTIAL INFORMATION
1
SUMMARY
.
The Archives of the Royal Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (XVth to XIXth century)
include a collection of documents which refer to the Hospital as an institution to host pilgrims
who came to Santiago de Compostela after touring Europe along the so called “Way of Saint
James.”
The main purpose of this institution, founded by the Catholic King and Queen, was to be a
hospital for pilgrims.
The documentary fonds that has been developed over the centuries is an indispensable source
for understanding the Jacobean pilgrimage and the history of the city of Santiago.
This fonds also contains important documentation of social and economic nature which is not
only limited to the city of Santiago but also to its surroundings, reaching international
dimension since the pilgrimage phenomenon knows no boundaries.
2
DETAILS OF THE NOMINATOR
2.1
Name (person or organisation)
Arquivo Histórico Universitario. Universidad de Santiago de Compostela.
2.2
Relationship to the documentary heritage nominated
Titular del Archivo del Hospital Real es el Archivo Histórico Universitario de
Santiago de Compostela
2.2
Contact person (s)
María José Justo Martín, Directora of Archives
2.4
Contact details (include address, phone, fax, email)
Casas Reales, 5, 15782 Santiago de Compostela , Spain
Phone: 34-981561695/ FAX: 34- 981 574095
E-mail: mariajose.justo@usc.es/ arqivoh@usc.es
3
IDENTITY AND DESCRIPTION OF THE DOCUMENTARY HERITAGE
3.1
Name and identification details of the items being nominated
The Archives of the Royal Hospital (XVth to XIXth century)
University Historical Archives. Santiago de Compostela
3.2
DESCRIPTION
The Archives of the Royal Hospital of Santiago de Compostela contain 15 sections of 6.382
boxes along with very distinct series, the most remarkable ones being: Provisions and Royal
Instructions, Protocols of the Royal Hospital, Councils, Boards and Ministers, Patients and
Pilgrims, Accounts, Litigation and estates, General. This series, as its name suggests, contains
documentation, which for one reason or another had no place in the series above mentioned,
or was part of a series that did not reach us.
All these series are related in one way or another with the pilgrims and the pilgrimage.
Apart from the founding documents and Constitutions for the Hospital’s Management:
Constitutions of 1524 given by Emperor Charles V and 1804, and 1804 we have the
jurisdictional disputes between the hospital and the city government, such as the Executorial
Letters given in Rome in 1516 by Pope Leo X.
The series referring to the Provisions and Royal instructions contain all the laws given to the
hospital government and management
The series concerning Councils, Boards, Visits and Ministers is extremely important to know
the inner life of the Hospital, Government staff and hospital services.
But one of the most important series for the phenomenon of pilgrimage is the Sick and the
Pilgrims where we can find all the pilgrims entering the Hospital. During the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries, both the sick and pilgrims, sick or not are listed in the register books.
The pilgrims are identified primarily by their origin. Most pilgrims came were France, the
In the nineteenth century, records of pilgrims were independent from the records of patients.
The pilgrims were allowed to stay in hospital for 5 days in winter and 3 days in summer, not
exceeding the allotted time marked on their staff.
This series brings together, then, the documentation including the Pilgrim on entering the
Hospital, their stay, departure as well as records stating their illness or situation of poverty.
This series is of paramount importance for the study of medicine and pharmacy, as they
reflect treatment given to patients. It is also related to the School of Medicine of the
University of Santiago de Compostela, because since 1597 physicians and nurses of the
Hospital have carried out their studies at that institution.
The pilgrims usually made a will or left some benefits to the hospital before the notary of the
same. This is reflected in the Protocols section of the Royal Hospital which consists of two
subseries: wills and a general writings.
Given the varied backgrounds of the pilgrims who came to Santiago and stayed in the
Hospital, the chaplains of languages take a very important role. According to the
Constitutions of 1524, 8 chaplains are documented, 4 of them have to be foreigners: French,
German, Flemish and English.
Their task was not only spiritual but also to visit the sick pilgrims and communicate with the
nurse to better care. This reinforces the international dimension of all the documentary fonds.
4
JUSTIFICATION FOR INCLUSION/ ASSESSMENT AGAINST CRITERIA
4.1
Is authenticity established?
Certainly. This original set has been developed as a result of the institution’s operation and
activities
4.2
Is world significance, uniqueness and irreplaceability established?
Its significance is crucial to the understanding of the pilgrimage to Santiago. This is a unique
fonds that can not be replaced by any other, so the loss of this file and the information
contained therein justifies its uniqueness and irreplaceability
4.3
Is one or more of the criteria of (a) time (b) place (c) people (d) subject and theme (e)
form and style (f) social, spiritual and community significance satisfied?
The documentary fonds covers a four-century period, which reflects the life of the institution.
This file does not refer only to Santiago but tells us about the activity of the Crown of Castile
through laws.
Among the people featured in this fonds, we find, on one hand, ecclesiastical and civil
authorities and the influence of the Crown, the Archbishop and the Institution of Attorney,
and on the other hand, the quota of pilgrims and patients receiving care and for whom this
institution was created and founded.
The Hospital, one of the two founded by the Catholic Monarchs of Castile, was created for the
care and attention to pilgrims.
This file contains thousands of documents issued by both the Crown and officials or ministers
of the Royal Hospital. The documents were written in Castilian, Latin and Galician. The
documents in Galician are from the medieval period before the founding of the hospital, and
were delivered to the hospital to justify their rights on private donations.
4.4
Are there issues of rarity, integrity, threat and management that relate to this
nomination?
This is a unique document of its kind and unique for the time.
Integrity: Following the old indices of the Royal Hospital, one can see small gaps in the
documentation set as a result of the various charges is the Archives. However, this is a file
that maintains its unity and integrity.
Threats: It is kept in a file that meets all environmental conditions and security measures
against theft and fire. It is also preserved in neutral pH cardboard boxes.
Management plan: As part of the Historic University Archive, it is managed under the same
measures as other fonds, with digitization programs to facilitate access to the fund, as well as
through an Internet database.
5
LEGAL INFORMATION
5.1.
Owner of the documentary heritage (name and contact details)
University of Santiago de Compostela
5.2
Custodian of the documentary heritage (name and contact details, if different to
owner)
Historic University Archives. University of Santiago de Compostela
5.3
Legal status:
(a) Category of ownership
University
(b) Accessibility
Free
(c) Copyright status
University of Santiago
(d) Responsible administration
University of Santiago de Compostela
(e) Other factors
6
MANAGEMENT PLAN
6.1
Is there a management plan in existence for this documentary heritage? YES.
It is included in the database of the Historical Archive in the digitization of plans for better
management and consultation.
7
CONSULTATION
7.1
Provide details of consultation about this nomination with (a) the owner of the heritage
(b) the custodian (c) your national or regional Memory of the World committee
Owner and custodian are the same legal entity that manages the file
PART B – SUBSIDIARY INFORMATION
8
ASSESSMENT OF RISK
8.1
Detail the nature and scope of threats to this documentary heritage (see 5.5)
Risk assessment
The archive of the Royal Hospital is located in the Historic Archive of the University, opened
in its new headquarters in 1990 and equipped with latest and modern advances in safety.
Environmental conditions are controlled by a centralized system to maintain humidity,
temperature and lighting correct levels. The building is constantly monitored and has antitheft systems and fire.