Arts & Entertainment

Medieval codex discovered in Spain after it went missing during civil war

Guadalajara, Spain, Jun 10 (EFE).- A rare codex from the mid-13th century has been discovered in Spain after it went missing during the civil war (1936-1938), authorities announced Friday.

In late 1938, a soldier prevented the valuable ‘Fuero de Brihuega’ from being scorched when his military unit seized the town of Brihuega in the central province of Guadalajara, Spain’s Civil Guard reported.

A father and his son found the antique codex and handed it over to the Civil Guard so it could return to Brihuega, which is well-known for its mauve lavender fields.

The operation to return the valuable book to its rightful place was conducted by the Soler y Llach auction house in Barcelona, who were contacted by the pair who made the discovery.

Authorities have said the document, which dates back to 1242 when the Archbishop of Toledo, Rodrigo Ximénez de Rada, granted jurisdiction to the town of Brihuega, has an “incalculable value” and is well preserved.

Archeologist Juan Catalina Garcí shared the contents of the codex before it disappeared, and his report describes how the Fuero delves into the legal rules in place at the time and the penalties for breaching them.

The codex is over 70 pages long and is written on parchment paper. The pages are sandwiched between two thick walnut panels that are bound by four strips of leather.

The manuscript is signed by the archbishop and other clerical officers.

The medieval handwriting is in what paleographers call French typeface and is in various colors.

The codex will be delivered on Friday evening by the Civil Guard to the mayor of Brihuega, Luis Viejo Esteban, in a ceremony at Piedra Bermeja Castle.EFE

brl/ch/mp

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