20 april 2016
After the huge success with Fer Harca. Medieval valencian history is the second part of Frederic Aparisi, Vicent Baydal and Ferran Esquilache about our past. They wrote with the ingenuity and agility of accurate historians and with an amazing capacity to seduce.
Here you can find extraordinarily interesting issues about medieval society including the blooming of linguistic diversity, the social role of women, medicine applications, commercial fairs network, cannibalism taboo or the punishment bankers received if they defrauded clients. Hence, they go in depth into various aspects of basic goods for the human diet such as cereals and bread or complementary food like nougat and cane sugar that have their origins, precisely, in that period. Also the hispanomuslim legacy and the always unstable relation between muslims and christians attract their attention with texts about Coves dels Moros, the figure of sàyyid Abu Zayd or La crema de Cocentaina in August 1304.
The book explains the medicine applications, commercial fairs network and cannibalism taboo
On this occasion, the three members of Harca Group recreate, in literary terms, historical valencian passages: the intense siege of Montcada in 1234 on the part of feudal troops and the enslavement of its entire andalusian population, the moments before the uprising headed by Francesc de Vinatea against monarchs Alfons el Benigne and Elionor de Castella, and the daily life within the walls of the seemingly peaceful monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotalba, in La Safor. A captivating and memorable trip that finishes with a tour that follows the footprints around Valencian lands of Jaume I.
This work was launched in 18th April at 19h in one of the most emblematic and historical building in Valencia, the restaurant Alma del Temple (C/ Almirall, 14) with the attendance of authors and the prolog writer and Medieval History professor of Universitat de València Rafael Narbona.
Frederic Aparisi (Gandia, 1982) doctorate in Medieval History from Universitat de València. Specialised in social history and rural areas of the central regions of Valencia. He is author and co-author of several books like Hug de Cardona. Documentary collection (2009-2011), Beyond lords and peasants (2014) and Beniopa. History of a people (2015).
Vicent Baydal (Valencia, 1979) doctorate in Medieval History and Legal History professor from Universitat Pompeu Fabra. He has develop his career in the Spanish Research Council (CSIC) and in Oxford University. Author of several books including: Els orígens de la revolta de la Unió al regne de València, 1330-1348 (2013) and Els valencians, des de quan són valencians? (2016).
Ferran Esquilache (Valencia, 1980) doctorate in Medieval History from Universitat de València. Specialised in the study of historical agricultural landscape transformations, particularly the hydraulic hispanomuslim and feudal areas such as the irrigation canals system in L’horta de València. He is author and co-author of several books like Història de l’horta d’Aldaia (2007) and Moncada i l’Orde del Temple en el segle XIII (2010).
All three are current members of Harca Group, founded in 2008 with the purpose of reflecting on the research of valencian medieval history and spreading their knowledge.
