馃嚜馃嚫 |ESPA脩OL|
Pierres Vedel's Arrival in Spain and the First Documentary Evidence of His Presence
The circumstances and exact date of Pierres Vedel's arrival in Spain remain unknown. He may have crossed the Pyrenees through the Pass of Roncesvalles, one of the main communication routes between southern France and the Iberian Peninsula. What is certain, however, is that he was already living in the Kingdom of Navarre before 1543, the year in which his name appears for the first time in the surviving documentary sources.
His arrival in Spain must be understood within the broader context of the significant migratory movements from southern France that took place between the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. During this period, many regions of Occitania experienced profound economic and social difficulties, later compounded by the religious conflicts that pitted Catholics against Protestants. These circumstances were further aggravated by subsistence crises, epidemics, and a lack of economic opportunities, prompting thousands of people to seek new prospects on the other side of the Pyrenees.
This migratory phenomenon, commonly known as the Occitan migration, unfolded in several stages. The first, spanning from the late fifteenth century to the early decades of the seventeenth century, coincided with a period of demographic recovery across large areas of northern Spain following the severe crises of the Late Middle Ages. Most of these migrants were young, unmarried Catholic men who travelled alone and found new opportunities for employment and social advancement in the Iberian kingdoms. As female migration was far less common, many eventually married local women, facilitating their rapid integration into the host society.
The earliest known documentary reference to Pierres Vedel is dated 4 October 1543 and places him in the Navarrese village of Oric谩in. On that occasion, he appears alongside Guillem de Olanda, assessing the stonework and sculptural work executed by Guillem (Guillermo) de Ober贸n for the altarpiece of the parish church. This document constitutes the first known evidence of Vedel's professional activity in the Iberian Peninsula.
Oric铆n and the Marriage to Clara Vizcarret
Oric铆n is a small village located in central Navarre, between Ol贸riz and Unzu茅. Its principal monument is the Church of Saint Andrew, a rural Romanesque building dating from the eleventh century. Originally conceived as a fortified church, it consists of a single nave covered by a pointed barrel vault and terminating in a semicircular apse. Although the structure underwent extensive alterations between 1642 and 1644 under the direction of the stonemason Pedro de Sarasti, it still preserves elements of considerable historical and artistic interest. Inside stands a Neo-Gothic high altarpiece incorporating several sculptures from the second third of the sixteenth century, and therefore contemporary with Vedel's stay in the village.
Marriage to Clara Vizcarret
The surviving documentation also sheds light on certain aspects of Pierres Vedel's personal life. A legal proceeding initiated in 1608 by Fray Pedro de Vedel, probably one of his sons, in order to certify various circumstances relating to his father's life, contains a valuable reference to Vedel's marriage:
"Et primo dizen los dichos exponentes que entre los quondam mase Pierres Vedel, escultor y arquitector, y Clara Vizcarret... del mismo lugar de Vizcarret, di贸cesis de Pamplona del reyno de Navarra, fue contra铆do matrimonio en faz de la sancta madre iglesia..."
Thanks to this document, we know both the name of his wife and her place of origin. Clara Vizcarret was a native of the Navarrese village of Vizcarret, now known as Bizkarreta-Gerendiain, located on the Camino de Santiago between Zubiri and Roncesvalles.
The village stands on a small rise overlooking the upper course of the River Erro, between the Sorogain and Soldas谩in ravines. Its most significant monument is the medieval Church of Saint Peter, one of the finest examples of the area's historic heritage. According to the data compiled in the Census of Population of the Provinces and Districts of the Crown of Castile (Imprenta Real de Madrid, 1829), which preserves information relating to earlier periods, Vizcarret had only around fifteen households during the fifteenth century.
All available evidence suggests that the marriage between Pierres Vedel and Clara Vizcarret took place during the years in which the architect was living in Navarre. Clara would later accompany her husband on the many journeys required by his professional activities in Aragon, forming with him the nucleus of a family that would eventually establish itself permanently in the province of Teruel.
