Feminine jurisdictional lordship in the Kingdom of León (10th-12th centuries)

Abstract

This article examines the role of high-ranking women in the exercise of the jurisdictional lordship to which they were entitled, within the context of the High Medieval Kingdom of León. This inquiry pursues a close examination of the charters produced in that historical setting. Drawing upon these sources, the study seeks to understand the patrimonial and matrimonial dimensions that enabled such prerogatives, as well as the feminine authority associated with them. Particular consideration is given to the participation of women in a variety of judicial acts, with special emphasis on the granting and confirmation of fueros, both in aristocratic and royal spheres. In this regard, stands out the atypical case of Urraca I of León and Castile (1109–1126) . As a queen in her own right, Urraca exercised a notable and singular form of jurisdictional authority, markedly distinct from that of other women belonging to the seigneurial elite.