Population, wealth and labour in a rural parish in the Late Middle Ages (Llagostera, c. 1460-1490)

Abstract

This study analyzes the forms of labor and the sources of rent in a rural community arround the late fifteenth century. This is done through the description of different farming and artisanal activities that took place in the town of Llagostera in north-east Catalonia and its rural surroundings. The main sources used are the notarial acts and the jurisdictional court ledgers produced in this town. The revenue tax (usually named re-tithe) of the town is also described. This was a fiscal resource managed by the local community that had as its main goal to tax all the wealth produced locally.