FÁFILA AND REVELLE REPOPULERS OF VILLAFÁFILA AND ITS ALFOZ IN THE 10TH CENTURY

The victory of King D. Pelayo in Covadonga, against the Morisma that invaded the peninsula in 711, gave rise to the weak and small Asturian kingdom and began the reconquest.

To defend it from the Muslims of Córdoba, its king D. Alfonso I, a descendant of that, barren the area between the Duero and the León Mountains, creating a "strategic desert" [1] that isolated them. It was a defensive barrier, signed by no man's land, wild, where the only inhabitants were birds and beasts.

The Albeldense, Alfonso III and Sam-Piro chronicles described the cities of that depopulated area as "civitas desertas" .

The Christian kingdom already called "Kingdom of León" was strengthened by King Ordoño II having made it his capital, after the recovery, repopulation and fortification of León (856) and Astorga (860), by Ordoño I. With Alfonso III they reached the Duero, a natural defensive barrier, repopulating and fortifying Zamora (893).

There were empty intermediate spaces - without owners - between these cities, ready to be appropriated by occupation - haste - or by royal donation. The natural conditions of the terrazzo influenced this: mountains, plains, rivers, lagoons, mineral deposits, etc. The castros would be suitable for defense against enemies: morisma, lords, malefactors, etc. or the villages for the development of crops and livestock, in addition to the exploitation of other natural wealth, such as fishing, hunting, salt, etc.

Castros and villas are the forms of repopulation of the "strategic desert" created by Alfonso I. Documentation from the 10th, 11th and 12th centuries tells us about the current ones: Castrogonzalo, Castrotorafe, Castrocalbón, Castronuevo, Castrofroila, Castroverde, Castronuño, Castromocho, etc., and Villabrágima, Villafrechós, Villamuriel, Villafáfila, Villalobos, Villalpando, Villamandos, Villalube, Villarramiel, etc. Castros and towns often respond to the name of their inhabitants: Castrogonzalo for Castrogundisalvizo, Castroverde for Castro Viride, Villafáfila for Villa de Fáfila, Villalpando for Villa de Alpandeh, or Villarramiel for Villa de Herrameliz. In other cases, the names come directly from the settler: Revellinos for Revelle or Benavente from the Latinized Benaventum.

"ad maius augmentun populationis de Bevanvento et ut melius solito a populatoribus servicium habere possin" [2] .

In toponymy, from the Hispanic-Roman or Gothic-Hispanic onomastics, formed by the Gothic and Latin names.

In the work that we published in Studia Zamorenesia in 1995 entitled "Villafáfila: Origen y repoblación. Siglos IX y X" we find "Villa Fáfila" for the first time (936) in a purchase made by the Sahagún Monastery.

"Et ego Alarico et uxor mea Fradegundia I sell vobis IIª pauses in Lampreana cum suis puteis et his eiratos cum his terms: Iª pause ad Lacuna Maiore ad terminun de Abiza et de Piniolo et de Villa Fáfila, is Atanarico's term" [3] .

Which tells us that the purchased pauses (salt pans) were in "Laguna Mayor" (today Salina Grande) and their limits were the terms called Abiza, Piniolo Villafáfila and Atanarico, which correspond to the names of their owners or also to local toponyms.

The size of these pauses would have to be small: Due to the number of them, according to the documentation on them [4] and due to the form of exploitation of the salt (as currently occurs in Salinas de Añana (Álava) or in the coastal salt mines ), which forced to admit the existence of an owner, called Fáfila and give up the toponym.

La Lampreana was the region where the pauses were located, larger in 936 than today.

When speaking of settlement of "strategic desert" in said work, we pointed out that the repopulation of Villafáfila was due to Fáfila, one of those primitive settlers who did it by occupation - haste - of the place that was free - without owner - that he needed and that with his work he could explore: His "villa".

Due to the conditions of the appropriate terrazzo, this was dedicated to agricultural and livestock exploitation, in addition to the salt of its pauses, through "puteis et eiratos" (wells and threshing floors).

What is the origin of this settler, called Fáfila?

We have consulted the documentation, corresponding to the 10th, 11th and 12th centuries, of the most important institutions in the Leonese area, which is where that could come from: Cathedrals of Astorga and León, the Monastery of Santiago de León, Sahagún, Escalada, Eslonza, Santa María del Otero de las Dueñas, Vega, Santa María del Carrizo and Ardón, located respectively in Astorga, León, Sahagún, Olaja de Eslonza, and in those of the same name on the rivers Luna, Cea, Órbigo and Esla, the last ones. It is the way to find other individuals of the same name, who would be ascendants or descendants, from the same town in the area of ​​origin of our Fáfila.

In them we find, repeatedly, his name delimiting a term or testifying and confirming the indicated documentation. Let's see:

1 Consolidating the kingdom of Leon, at the end of the 9th century, we find a nobleman - Fáfila Ordoariz - who was the nephew of King Alfonso III of León, son of his brother Odoario [5] . Although when this nobleman took care of all the affairs of the kingdom, we have to think that he resided mainly in León (city) and its area.

2 In 878 King Alfonso III had to give a court ruling confirming to Bishop Indiscolo of Astorga the possession of the Villa de Brimeda in the lawsuit he had with Baroncello and the sons of Catelino. Among the confirmers of the document was Fáfila [6] .

3 In 916 the Bishop of Astorga, San Genadio, restored and gilded the Bercian monastery of Santa Leocadia de Castaniaria. The document is signed by the bishop and Abbot Martínez and confirmed by various religious, including Fáfila prebyter [7] .

4 In the year 920 Bishop Genadio granted the hermits of Bergidinsi the town of Lacuna in the territory of Astorga [8] . Fafila Prebister Thetis.

5 In 923 the king of León Ordoño II, donated to the monastery of Sahagún the "bust" (mount) of Tronisco that is located "n flumen Porme" . The donation is confirmed by Fáfila Veroncelli [9] .

6 This must have been an important figure in the kingdom, since in 925 we also see him confirming the restoration of the monastery of San Dictinío de Astorga by the bishop of this diocese, San Fortis [10] .

7 Another Fáfila, in 929 testifies to a donation by Mascito and Odón, to the monastery of Eslonza, of a village, next to Santa Eugenia, in the Porma region [11] .

8 In 943, Egilo and his children sold half of a town located in Villa Cañones, on the Esla, to the Eslonza monastery. One of its limits was "Fáfila's term" [12] .

9 In 950 some land bordering the "terminum de Fáfila" in Repollar (Rebollar-Garrafe de Torio) [13] is sold .

10 In a document from 954, Fáfila Olaliz (noble for doing so in a royal document) confirmed the donation by Ordoño II of the church of San Claudio to the church of León, which was located on the outskirts of the city, as "testis qui and look" [14] .

11In 955 Archdeacon Fáfila confirms another document by Ordoño III delimiting the church of León, in which he indicates those of his estates: Zamora, Castroverde, Toro,... and a "camisso" in Valle Ratario, which is located together with Sahagun [15] . According to Sánchez Albornoz "Prints from the life of León during the 10th century" this valley was within the alfoz of the city, according to a document from the year 929 relating to the Mº de San Cosme y San Damián "Old Karraria que vedid de Rotarios ad monastery " .

12 Valeria and her children sell to the Ardon monastery in 958

"terra quem abemus in villa Matela, super Dominica que dicunt Fraximo, locum predictum in Laguna de Fáfila et recum de numtum" [16]

which is more easily located through another document from the same monastery

"et usque in term of Karrele qui discurrit ad Quoianka (Coyanza)" ^16.

The Laguna de Fáfila was located on the road from León to Coyanza (Valencia de don Juan). Further south of this was the current town of Fáfilas. Do you have any relationship?

13 Fáfila Olaliz we find him again in 960 in a document from Ilderdo, Bishop of Segovia (from Simancas), donating to the church of León and its Bishop Gonzalo from the town of San Claudio de la Ribera del Aratoy (Valderaduey) [17] .

14 Also in 963, Fáfila and his wife received a donation from the priest Sisebuto, of the fourth part

"our village quam nunccupant Bercianos in Valle Retero" [18]

in the vicinity of the Sahagún monastery, as we have indicated in 11.

15 In 967 an "agro of land" was determined that was located in "Kasa Fáfila" that we have not located [19] .

16 Donation of Vermudo II, in 984, to Bishop Sabárico de León

"villas quam nunccupant Paratella (paradilla de Solariba) et Toldanos" [20]

which are found in the current municipalities of Valdepero and Villaturiel, in the vicinity of the city of León. Confirm Fafila. Olaliz.

17 in the same year

"Fafilani presbiteri offero et condedo... sancto Iacobi apostoli... villa vocita Marin de Mazarellos... Revelli presbiter notuit (scribe)" . [twenty-one]

According to Sánchez Albornoz, Mazarellos was next to the Valle Retario, previously said, a place that corresponds to a village of the current municipality of Villaturiel. Note the name of the scribe.

18 In 990 Fáfila Olaliz appears again confirming a document from Vermudo II donating the town of Untina (Oncina) that we place in Valdocina (next to León), which had been a wayward Canancio (Cananro) (revolts in the outskirts of León ) to his faithful Fernando Nuñez [22] .

19 In 1002 in which Serrazino Silez and his wife sell Fáfila Fredemundi (Fernández) and his

"villa quam abemus in Legionnaire territory locum predicto Antimo"

which corresponds to the current places of Arriba and Abajo, in the Valdoncina,

"et mills that abemus in flumine Vernesga... et alia hereditate que habemus in valle d'Ardone" [23] .

The Flainez lion lineage dates back to the 10th century. One of its members was Nuño Flainez. His grandson Pedro Flainez married Fronilde of the Froila family. From this marriage Fáfila Petriz was born, who married Munadona. The marriage formed its heritage through purchases and donations.

20 She sold to Fáfila Petriz, in 1012, some land in Villa Cassane for five and a half salaries of wine [24] . (It may be Villa Ceramne (Zeramne) that also appears in the Calf of Sahagún in the 11th century, of Mozarabic origin).

21 In 1022 Veila Obequizi donated a villa to Fáfila Perrizi "in Vale de Tolo, next to the river Aredeo (Valderaduey) near Villare" for being her servant and nephew of his wife Arilo [25] . In the preserve of the Sahagún monastery.

22 As "Pincerca in Palacio" in 1030, Fáfila himself acted confirming a donation from Vermudo III to Munio, for the services he had rendered [26] . Likewise, Fáfila Petriz, in 1031 confirmed the document of the previous king to Count Froila Muñoz and his wife Guntrodo de la Villa de Riegos in León " decurrente ribulo Omania" (tributary of the Órbigo) [27] .

23 For his loyalty, Vermudo III donated the Cessan villa to Fáfila Petriz in 1032, taking it from Dª Jimena and her children who were rebellious.

"Kartulan donationis villa Cessan de omnia sua ereditate de Excemena et suos folios... ab onmi integritate tibi eam concedo... qui est in terrritorio Legionense iusta crepidinem alvei Cegia (Cea)" [28] .

See number 20.

24 In the same year, Fáfila Petriz also acted as confirming agent of the exchange made between King Vermudo and the Asturian Count Piniolo Ximeniz of some of the former's properties, in Asturias, for a bay horse worth two hundred salaries. She also does it in the restoration of the Palencia see, by said king [29] .

King Vermudo III of León died, and the Castilian kingdom of Fernando I was formed, the royal prerogatives towards Fáfila Petriz were not diminished. This as count belonging to the "Curia Regia" , in 1046, confirmed to the church of Astorga the vassalage of the residents of Val de San Lorenzo - in the Maragatería - that had been imposed by the kings of Castile on Fernando I and Sancha [ 30] .

25 Fáfila Petriz and his wife Munadona, in 1060, sold a villa on the banks of the Órbigo to Scemeno Velazquiz, instead of Fonte Manuane, which King Vermudo had donated to them [31] .

The Children of Fáfila Petriz, like their parents, actively intervened in the reign of Vermudo III: Elvira, Ordoño, Cristina, Martino and Petro Fáfilaz.

26 In 1032 Elvira Fáfilaz donated to the monastery of Sahagún a third of what she had in Vila Alva (it could be Villalba de la Loma, next to Mayorga) [32] .

27 Ordoño Fáfilaz, his wife and children and sister, Countess Elvira, who had unjustly retained the Villa de Bercianos, gave the monastery of Sahagún in 1046 a quarter of what corresponded to that villa [33] .

28 In 1067 Cristina Fáfilaz donated to the ascisterio de San Pedro Apóstol, in the land of Aquilere, in the Orete valley, half of the estate she had in Santa María de Lorma [34] .

29 Another of the sons, Martino Fáfilaz, sold in 1069, to Pedro Petriz a villa in the territory of Primalia, which his father gave him. Similarly, in 1080, he also sold Martino Saguiz a plot of land in the town of Gradefes, on the Istola river, for 140 silver salaries [35] . His grandson García Petriz, together with his wife Teresa Petriz, founded the monastery of Gradefes in 1168.

30 in 1074 Petro Fáfilaz confirms a donation document from the infanta Urraca to her daughter María Froilaz de la Villa de Ermegilldo [36] .

31 The former Leonese nobles donated, in 1067, an estate in Mansilla to the Sahagún monastery, which had been received by King Vermudo III [37] .

32 In the last year of the 11th century, Petro Fáfilaz also witnessed the following royal donations to the Eslonza monastery: Donation of Alfonso VI of the Algadebe monastery and himself and Queen Urraca of others [38] .

33 Starting in the 12th century, the brothers Fáfilaz Petro, Iohanes and María sold Pelagio Petriz.

"inherited our own quam abemus in territory legionensis in Villa Alaxa (Alija de la Ribera) nunccupatur et iacet secus flumen Vernisica" [39] .

34 Lastly, in 1119, with Dª Urraca reigning in Castile, Sancio Sanxez and his wife sold Pelayo Froilaz an estate in Val de Sabugo, in Villa Bronilde and Villa Cidon in Legion territory. Fáfila was confirmed as a cleric of San Isidro de León [40] .

With all of the above exposed, around the name of Fáfila (and Revelle) we have formed the attached table.

TABLE

Approximately: In León capital and its surroundings, 65% reside in Fáfila, 12% in the Astorga area and 15% in Sahagún. For Revelle the percentage is similar between León and Sahagún.

All of the above leads us to think that these Fáfilas reviewed are natives or residents of the current province of León and more likely in its capital and its surroundings, although with less possibility in the vicinity of Astorga and Sahagún.

In these places reviewed, the Fáfilas are acquiring nobility and nobility, appearing in the documentation studied as such people or as owners of towns and districts.

The repopulator of Villafáfila must surely come from the outskirts of the city of León, who, by hastily occupying the terrace where this town is currently located, made it his "villa", to whom he gave his name, "Villa de Fáfila" with which it has come to us.

We have consulted the documentation of other institutions of those times and places in the area and we have not found any Fáfila or only and rarely any, as we have seen in El Bierzo, in point 3.

When did Fáfila found her "villa"? Nothing can be guaranteed, in a certain way, but with the data previously provided, we can assume that it could have taken place in any of the years of the first thirty years of the 10th century, once the border with the infidel had been established and secured, in the Douro.

Among the villages that formed the Alfoz de Villafáfila was Revellinos since the 10th century, its possible repopulator was Revelle.

35 In 945 the monastery of Eslonza acquires from Elías and his wife Sisberta

"in primis medietatem de meas terras proprias quam abemus in Lampreana territory iustita villa que vocitant Revellines" [41] .

36 On the same date the monastery proactively acquires land in Lampreana

"et in lios locos in lacunas, de Arcello vindo vobis meas Pautas... via que discurrit de Revellines ad Lampreana... cum meas Kasas et ipsas cortes et ipsos ortos cum suos puteos... et pro corrale que discurrit de Revellines ad Arcello" [42] .

37 In 950 Revelle acts as a witness in a sale of land in Villa Iaginte by Gertrimiro, others and their wives, to Bonone and his. It is almost certain that this town is located in the vicinity of León, as the document belongs to its Cathedral [43] .

38 Also in 959 the Countess Justa donated to the Monastery of Santiago de León

"sumiliter Pautata in Lampreana" acts as signator " Revelli Iaquintus presbiter notuir" [44] .

This same Revelli is a signatory of document 17, donation of the priest Fáfila to the same monastery of Santiago de León. He would possibly be the clerk of the council.

39 In 956 we meet another Revelle who, together with his wife, exchanged properties with Salvador and his in Villa Veride (Villaverde) next to Torio.

"facimus with Kambiacione Kasas et terras nostras own that abemus in fair Legionensem territory smoke Thorium in predicted logo in Bila Berde" [45] .

It could be Valverde de la Virgen (Villa Verde-Val Verde) in Valdocina.

40 Revel, in 979, grants Bishop Sisnando half of "vinca qui aveo in loco predicto un villa Mahude" [46] place of Calzada del Coto, near Sahagún.

41 Vermudo II of León restored, in 984, Sabarico, bishop of the same in

"Campos Goturum... Valle Retario with its villas id sunt: ​​Villa Velasco, Santa María, Villa Egas, Villa Revelle, Parals, Villa Mahumudi, Gallegos et Kaidos" [47] .

Which are close to Sahagún, which Gómez Díaz (Count of Saldaña) and others illegally retained.

42 In 1013 we find another Revelle, confirming a sale in Antimio, which we have indicated in number 19, which indicates the neighborhood relationship between this confirmer and his buyer Fáfila Fernández [48] .

43 In 1049 Eilo and his children sold to Vermudo Velaz, the villa that he had received from his parents Pedro Revelliz and his wife (before it belonged to Revel Revelliz) located next to the Curueño river (a tributary of the Porma) in the territory of León. Likewise, Arias Revelliz sold Vermudo Velaz property next to the previous river, to the houses of Revel Revelliz [49] .

44 Cipriano Froilaz and his wife, in 1028, gave the monastery of Vega a plot of land, in Castrillo, which is close to the same monastery, in Cea. In 1150 it is said of his advice.

"quorun concilii de Castrello qui audierunt et viderunt qui confirmant coran testes" [50] Johane Revelliz confirms.

45 And lastly, in 1088, the Monastery of Vega, previously mentioned, went to the judges so that they made a declaration condemning the children of Revelle so that the town of Besadas belonged to them and not to them.

"vocitata in villa que vocitant Vexadas... said former adverse part of filiis Revelle" [51] .

As we have previously considered in Fáfila, now we do it with Revelle.

He appears in the documents as the owner of land that he donated or exchanged, he also does so as a clerk -notary- and even disputes with others, before Thursdays, about something that he believes is his. (See table).

These Revelle develop their activities around León and Sahagún preferably, with similar percentages, where we can fix their origin. Fáfila and Revelle appear in the area of ​​León-Sahagún in similar times, as we have believed to establish, and with it the nature of both.

With this we believe we have answered the question that we asked ourselves before "The origin of the settlers of Villafáfila and its Alfoz".

Author:

Manuel de la Granja Alonso.

Studia Zamorensia ,  ISSN  0214-736X,  No. 4, 1997 , pgs. 31-44.

https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=297117.

Photos:

Manuel de la Granja Alonso

Jose Luis Dominguez Martinez.

Assembly transcript:

Jose Luis Dominguez Martinez.

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