The Hospital Care Dimension of the Order of Santiago in the Middle Ages and Its Manifestation at the Priory of Uclés

Abstract

The Hospital Care Dimension of the Order of Santiago in the Middle Ages and Its Manifestation at the Priory of Uclés

Abstract
Throughout the Middle Ages, the military orders undertook extensive hospital and charitable works directed both to their own members, the brethren, and to society at large, through hospitals for the poor, the sick, and pilgrims; the ransom of captives; and other acts of charity.

This article analyses these dimensions in the case of the Order of Santiago, one of the most prominent within the Iberian Peninsula, through several case studies focused on the Castilian town of Uclés (Cuenca, Spain), one of the Order’s principal centers: the Infirmary, the Hospital of All Saints, and the Poor’s Refectory, from the twelfth to the sixteenth centuries.

Keywords: Medieval Hospitality, Military Orders, Order of Santiago, Uclés

La dimension hospitalière de l’Ordre de Santiago au Moyen Âge et sa manifestation au siège prioral d’Uclés

Résumé
Tout au long du Moyen Âge, les ordres militaires menèrent une intense activité hospitalière et caritative, destinée à la fois à leurs propres members, les frères, et à l’ensemble de la société, au moyen d’hôpitaux pour pauvres, malades et pèlerins, du rachat des captifs et d’autres formes d’assistance.

Cet article examine ces dimensions pour l’Ordre de Santiago, l’un des plus éminents de la péninsule Ibérique, à partir de plusieurs études de cas centrées sur la localité castillane d’Uclés (Cuenca, Espagne), l’un des principaux centres de l’Ordre: l’Infirmerie, l’Hôpital de Tous les Saints et le Réfectoire des Pauvres, du XIIe au XVIe siècle.

Mots-clés: Hospitalité médiévale, Ordres militaires, Ordre de Santiago, Uclés

A dimensão hospitalar da Ordem de Santiago na Idade Média e a sua manifestação na sede prioral de Uclés

Resumo
Ao longo da Idade Média, as ordens militares desenvolveram uma ampla atividade hospitalar e caritativa, dirigida tanto aos seus próprios membros, os freires, como ao conjunto da sociedade, por meio de hospitais para pobres, enfermos e peregrinos; do resgate de cativos; e de outras práticas assistenciais.

Este artigo analisa essas dimensões no caso da Ordem de Santiago, uma das mais proeminentes na Península Ibérica, com base em vários estudos de caso centrados na localidade castelhana de Uclés (Cuenca, Espanha), um dos principais centros da Ordem: a Enfermaria, o Hospital de Todos os Santos e o Refeitório dos Pobres, entre os séculos XII e XVI.

Palavras‑chave: Hospitalidade medieval, Ordens Militares, Ordem de Santiago, Uclés