The Use of the Term Uilla in Early Medieval León: A Review of the Economic Base of the Astur-Leonese Monarchy (Ninth-Eleventh Centuries)

Abstract

This chapter delves into the economic basis of royal power in early medieval León through the study of the concept of uilla as it was used in the region, engaging with wider European debates on the use of the term. The analysis of over 2,000 charters demonstrates that uilla was used by lay and ecclesiastical elites as an expression of how they conceived of, managed, and represented seigneurial control over estates and localities. It overcomes current interpretations of uilla as a fiscal unit, showing that it subsumed a variety of relations of production under many forms. Ultimately, the article argues that the term was part of a widely shared elite culture, and that as such it was instrumental in the construction of social relationships between the kings and their lay and ecclesiastical supporters.