“Reading Archival Latin”
Mediterranean Studies Summer Skills Seminar
19—21 May 2025 • Remote
The Summer Skills Seminar, “Reading Archival Latin,” formerly, “Introduction to the Archive of the Crown of Aragon (documents in Latin to ca. 1350)” will be held via Zoom from Monday, 19 May to Thursday, 22 May from 10am to noon and 1–3pm MDT.
Course overview
The Archive of the Crown of Aragon (ACA) in Barcelona contains one of the largest and richest archival collections relating to medieval Europe, comprising hundreds of thousands of documents, most from the twelfth to fifteenth centuries, and including financial records, royal letters, administrative documents, trial records, treaties, and many other genres. The documentation can be used for a whole range of topics including social, economic, political, institutional, gender, diplomatic, cultural and religious history.
The territories of the Crown of Aragon included much of the Iberian Peninsula, parts of southern France, Sicily and southern Italy, parts of Tunisia and Greece, the Balearics, Sardinia and other Mediterranean islands. It had a large and diverse urban population, was highly integrated into Mediterranean and European trade systems, and had significant populations of Muslims and Jews. It developed one of the earliest and most robust chanceries of medieval Europe; the collections of which have weathered the vicissitudes of history all but intact. Much of the documentation has yet to be used by historians. The skills seminar will focus on the Latin-language documentation (from the eleventh to the mid-fourteenth centuries) in the archive’s collections.
This four-day intensive skills seminar will focus on a hands-on introduction to reading unedited Latin documents from a variety of the archive’s fonds and provide participants with an overview of the collections of the ACA, including access to online resources and reproductions.
Topics will include: manuscript abbreviations, dating systems, place and personal names, and research resources and techniques. As much as possible the content will be catered to participants’ interests and needs. Medievalists of all disciplines, graduate students, and qualified undergraduate students, as well as library and archival professionals are encouraged to apply.
The goal is to provide participants with a solid preparation for conducting work remotely via the PARES web portal (through which you can do research from anywhere in the world) and on-site at the ACA. Participants will find the skills and techniques which the course focuses on useful not only at the Archive of the Crown but at other medieval archives across Spain and Europe.
Previous Participants said:
“Dr. Catlos is a very patient instructor who knows the ACA and Latin very well. He understands that the subject matter is difficult to grasp, and he is always willing to help out the class and take lots of time on difficult words.”
“I really have to recommend this especially for grad students, whether or not they are able to travel to state or municipal archives abroad. Both the paleography instruction and the discussions of archives are something I wish I had in grad school, myself, and are extremely translatable to different contexts (although they may not know it beforehand).”
“I'm really thankful to Prof. Catlos for delivering information in a concise yet comprehensive way. It was a good class and it helped me advance my paleographic skills.”
“I felt the course was both extremely engaging and challenging. Through the intensive four hour a day study, I feel like I gained a wonderful baseline to continue to build the skill of archival reading, as well as the resources and techniques to make the task less daunting as I pursue it further.”
“Brian's deep knowledge of the archive and the region was critical to making sense of the documents. I especially appreciated how he used direct encouragement when reading difficult documents, and provided context on how reading skills develop throughout an academic's career. I also appreciated that he kept to time while moving through so much material, and that the reading sessions were kept short - they're intense but so rewarding!”
“The course was a great introduction to archival work generally, and ACA specifically, for grad students. I wish I had had something similar when I was doing my PhD! I was impressed that it was also pitched at a level that benefitted faculty who had either been away from archival work for some time, or weren't familiar with the ACA and its hands. I would absolutely recommend it for people at various career stages.”
Faculty
The course will be conducted by Prof. Brian A. Catlos (Religious Studies, CU Boulder). A graduate of the University of Toronto’s Centre for Medieval Studies (Phd, 2000) and now a historian of pre-Modern Spain and the Mediterranean, Catlos has been using the collections of the ACA since 1995, primarily for research into the social and economic history of the Crown of Aragon and Muslim-Christian-Jewish relations. His books, including: The Victors and the Vanquished: Christians and Muslims of Catalonia and Aragon, 1050–1300 (Cambridge: 2004), Infidel Kings and Unholy Warriors: Power, Faith and Violence in the Age of Crusade and Jihad (Farrer, Straus & Giroux: 2014), Muslims of Medieval Latin Christendom, 1050–ca. 1615 (Cambridge: 2014) and Kingdoms of Faith: A New History of Islamic Spain (Basic: 2018), have won awards from the American Historical Association, the Medieval Academy, and the Middle East Studies Association, and have been published in 11 languages. The Sea in the Middle: The Mediterranean World, 650-1650 and Texts from the Middle: Documents from the Mediterranean World, 650-1650 (with T. Burman and M. Meyerson) were published in August 2022 by U California. He has held research fellowships from NEH and is a Guggenheim Fellow in 2024.
Application & Information
Applicants should have at least an intermediate level of reading Latin. Those wishing to bone-up on their Latin fluency in advance of the course are encouraged to read the Latin Vulgate and review declensions and conjugations.
Please note: sessions will not be recorded; synchronous attendance is required.
The regular application period is until April 28.
Applicants will be advised of acceptance by May 5. Payment is due on 12 May. Applicants waiting on a grant or subvention may request an extension for the second payment.
Late applicants may be accommodated if space remains. Full payment will be due within three days of acceptance, including a $75 surcharge for late applications.
All payments are final and non-refundable. A letter of confirmation/ receipt will be provided by the Mediterranean Seminar, together with a certificate of completion once the course has concluded.
For sample documents, see the bottom of this page.
Apply via this form. [download poster]
NOTE: Numbers are limited; participants are encouraged to apply early.
For further information or inquiries, contact Brian Catlos (brian.catlos@colorado.edu; subject: “Summer Skills Information”).
Fees
• $1100 for Full Professors, Librarians & Professionals
• $825 for tenured Associates, Emerita/us, Retired Faculty, Independent Scholars & Non-Academics;
• $575 for non-tenured Associates and Assistants, Postdoctoral Fellows & Graduate and Undergraduate students;
• $400 for Adjuncts, Lecturers & Contingent faculty.
Members of University of Colorado departments may be eligible for a discount.
Limited reductions are offered to applicants who are (1) nationals; (2) current residents; (3) AND faculty or students in low-per-capita GDP countries may apply for a reduction (the Low-GDP Bursary program).
Payment information will be provided at the time of acceptance. Posted fees do not include a 5% processing fee.
How do we determine our fees?
Why have our fees gone up?
Can I get a reduction in fees?
What is the low-GDP Bursary program?
Program
Monday, 19 May 2025
10am-noon; 1:00-3:00pm
1. The History & Structure of the Archive of the Crown of Aragon
2. Pergaminos/Pergamins
Tuesday, 20 May 2025
10am-noon; 1:00-3:00pm
1. The Royal Chancery: The Registers
2. Reading the Registers
Wednesday, 21 May 2025
10am-noon; 1:00-3:00pm
1. Royal Letters
2. Using Royal Letters
Thursday, 22 May 2025
10am-noon; 1:00-3:00pm
1. Beyond the Chancery
2. Research techniques
Sample documents and transcriptions
1) ACA, C., reg. 139, f. 303v – transcription
2) ACA, C., reg. 232, f. 80v–81r – transcription
3) ACA, C., reg. 304, f. 19r – transcription
Important dates:
Application period: 28 April 2025
Acceptance/stand by notifications: 5 May 2025
Full payment: 12 May 2025 (subject to extension for late applicants/ or pending grants)
NOTE: Numbers are limited; participants are encouraged to apply early.
Information
For general information regarding fees, enrollment, and administrative matters, contact the Mediterranean Seminar; for questions regarding seminar content and materials, contact the instructor directly.
[download poster]