Pia Almoina Dret de Quartera Wheat Prices

Pia Almoina Dret de Quartera Wheat Prices

Grain Prices, Cathedral Grain Supply, Famine

The "Dret de Quartera" was a long standing collection right held by the Pia Almoina of Barcelona for a fixed amount of wheat every year. The prices rose and fell with the market, but were generally lower, as this was a privileged purchase. While this might not reflect market prices, it does give a clear indication of the ups and downs of the grain market at a monthly level for more than fifty years, making it an invaluable source for the general state of the grain supply in Barcelona.

Initially, the grain was delivered by Bernat Mager, but for much of the second half of the fourteenth century it was overseen by Andreu Marques. He was in charge for so long that some later scribes simply refer to the collection as the "dret d'en Andreu Marques." Early in the fourteenth century, the collection was combined with other rights and referred to as the "Dret de Sexena." This appears in the last couple of years of the records. As with the other grain records, I have provided both the original cost in Solidos and Diners, as well as decimal conversions (and done similarly for the grain measure in Quartans and Quarteres.)

Adam Franklin-Lyons

Arxiu Capitular de Barcelona; V. Pia Almoina; A. Administració; 2. Sortides; C. Majordonia

Creative Commons 3.0

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