Caring for the royal falcons of King Sancho I of Mallorca

[Falconry - Sancho I of Mallorca]. Invoice document (albarán) for falconry expenses.

€ 85.000,00

An extensive account of the expenses incurred and payments received by Guillem (Guillermo) Esteve for the care of the falcons of King Sancho I of Mallorca, between the months of March and May 1320. Sancho of Mallorca, the Peaceful (1274-1324), was King of Mallorca, Count of Roussillon and Cerdanya, and Lord of Montpellier from 1311 to his death in Formiguères on 4 September 1324.

The document includes information on the feeding and care of the falcons, on the costs of the hoods, jesses, rings and other utensils, and the loans and payments to various persons. The itemized transactions involve the purchase of several falcons: three from the castle of Pollensa, two from the land of Palomera, and three from the land of Alconzena; others from the Bishop of Mallorca, from the land of Escorça, from the married woman Valentina (wife), from the land of Calobra; further, 12 pairs of pigeons and another 27 pairs of pigeons; other entries of pigeon purchases follow: "Llibre de les messions que en Guillem Stheve ha fetes per los falcons del senyor rey de l’any de MCCCXX. Primo, costà 1a exavegada de pala als dits falcons, 4 s. 4. Ítem, costà 1 librel, 8 d. Ítem, costaren de port 8 quarteres de forment, 7 d. Ítem, 2 graneres, 2 d. Ítem, costà veta a seyar los falcons, 4 d. Ítem, costen 3 ganstz de serró, 6 s. Ítem, costen 14 capels de falcons, 6 s. Ítem, costen 4 longes de serró, 12 d. Ítem, costen 10 longes d’escodat, 20 d. Ítem, costen 14 parels de getz dels falcons, 4 s [...] Ítem, rebí, dimarstz a 29 d’abril, falcons, 1 prim e 1 tersol, de l’agre de la Palomera 3. Ítem, rebí, digous primer jorn de mag, falcons, 2 prims e 1 tersol, de l’agre de l’Alconzena [?], e portà'ls lo balle d’Aleró, 3 [...]".

Written in Mallorcan, a dialectal variant of Catalan, in a scribal hand, on cotton paper manufactured in Mallorca by Arab paper makers. Under Muslim rule from 903 until 1229, Mallorca ("Mayurqa") had formed one of the Eastern Islands of al-Andalus ("al-jaza'ir al-sharqiya li-l-andalus"). The art of papermaking, long mastered by the Arabs, had reached the southern Spain only in the 12th century through the Muslim conquest, at a time when most of western Europe still favoured vellum as a writing material. The Arab tradition of papermaking is still evident in this early 14th century insular specimen.

An extraordinarily rare survival in excellent state of preservation. Includes full transcription.