Justice or Mob Rule?
In 1476 there was a small town in the present-day province of Córdoba ruled by a traitor to the Catholic Monarchs. The comendador, a type of governor, belonged to the Order of Calatrava. He had been placed in the town at the behest of the Monarchs. But he went against them, and tried to get the rest of the Order to go against them, as well. He went and conquered Ciudad Real for the rival of Isabel la Católica, Juana la Beltraneja, during the years the throne of Castile was in dispute. The Monarchs reconquered Ciudad Real and were deciding what to do with this rebellious man, when he was suddenly murdered. However much of a traitor, he was still a representative of the Monarchs and it was necessary to know the truth. The truth was that Fernán Gómez de Guzmán, the comendador, was a cruel governor as well as a traitor, and the entire town rose up against him. One night the enfervored crowd broke into his house and killed him.
When the Monarchs were informed, they arrived with their court to mete out justice. Various townsfolk were tortured to find out the name of the murderer. But the only answer was "The town did it." Everyone stuck together, and the Monarchs, unable to find the culprit, decided not to punish anyone, and left Fuenteovejuna.
That is the story told by Lope de Vega. He also included a love story. The daughter of the mayor, Laurencia, was propositioned by Fernán. She rejected him, and her fiancée, Frondoso, threatened Fernán with a spear. At their wedding reception, Fernán arrived and arrested both of them. He claimed his right to the first night with the bride, and the groom was charged with threatening his life. They were released by the rest of the town when Fernán was murdered. Lope de Vega took the germ of a historic incident and fictionalized it to become an immortal cry against injustice. It praises and teaches about the collective. Together, the town overthrew a despot. It only happened because they came together as one. From one of the scenes has come a saying, "Todos a la una, como Fuenteovejuna." (Everyone together like Fuenteovejuna.) Of course, the collective can also come together and create mob violence that only ends in a whimper of regret and subdued awakenings. Which is what happened in the true story.
The true story lies in the end of the feudal system and the rise of the monarchy as a centralizing power. Land belonged either to a lord or to the king. Entire towns were private property rented out to their inhabitants. The military Order of Calatrava was one of those lords. They literally owned Fuenteovejuna. Over a hundred years before the story occurred, the lords of Córdoba, were forced to exchange Fuenteovejuna and its surrounding land for other, less fertile, lands that were owned by the Order. Now, the allegiance of the lords of Córdoba and of the Order of Calatrava is important, because Córdoba owed allegiance to the monarch of Castile, and the Order owed allegiance to the Pope. The new Queen of Castile, Isabel, and her husband Fernando, King of Aragón, wanted to unify not just the Spanish peninsula, but to make their power to do so undisputable. They gave preference in territorial squabbles to those who professed to them their loyalty over those whose loyalties lay elsewhere. Córdoba was never content with the decision over Fuenteovejuna and wanted it back. So a plan was hatched.
The comendador of Fuenteovejuna (whose real name was apparently Fernando Ramírez de Guzmán) was neither a monster nor a depraved soul. What he was, was a competent tax collector who had recently raised the tribute the inhabitants were forced to pay, making the natives restless. The emissaries sent from Córdoba played upon that, and roiled up the feelings among the neighbors of the town. Things went along just fine in the eyes of the lords in Córdoba, and the whipped-up mob stormed the house of the comendador and started killing the servants who tried to stop them. The comendador came out and interceded for his servants, claiming they had done no wrong. He offered to return what the mob saw just from the last collection of taxes, but the mob had gone too far. One of them thrust his sword into the comendador's face, and the rest fell upon him, stabbing his lifeless body again and again. Then they plundered the house of all its gold and silver. Together with the emissaries sent from Córdoba, they asked the Monarchs to be returned to the lord of Córdoba and to be forgiven for what they had done, accusing the comendador of depravities no human could be forced to tolerate.
Because it worked in their favor, and no love was lost with the Order of Calatrava, the Monarchs forgave the town, and the incident was considered more a symbol of triumph over injustice rather than the ultimate consequence of mob violence. And when Lope de Vega turned it into a theatrical work of art, it became a romantic representation of right over might.
The play is still put on in the town of Fuente Obejuna. This year it has been playing since Tuesday, and today the last act is to be played. It is not put on every year, but only from time to time. This year marks the 540th anniversary of the original incident. The actors are mostly residents of Fuente Obejuna, at least since the beginning of the 1990's, and it must be something wonderful to see. The last scenes can't be played at the site of the actual house of Fernán Gómez, though. The ruins of his house were eventually covered by the church of Nuestra Señora del Castillo (Our Lady of the Castle). Quite ironic.
This is the pdf document where I found most of the information. It's in Spanish, but quite useful.
When the Monarchs were informed, they arrived with their court to mete out justice. Various townsfolk were tortured to find out the name of the murderer. But the only answer was "The town did it." Everyone stuck together, and the Monarchs, unable to find the culprit, decided not to punish anyone, and left Fuenteovejuna.
That is the story told by Lope de Vega. He also included a love story. The daughter of the mayor, Laurencia, was propositioned by Fernán. She rejected him, and her fiancée, Frondoso, threatened Fernán with a spear. At their wedding reception, Fernán arrived and arrested both of them. He claimed his right to the first night with the bride, and the groom was charged with threatening his life. They were released by the rest of the town when Fernán was murdered. Lope de Vega took the germ of a historic incident and fictionalized it to become an immortal cry against injustice. It praises and teaches about the collective. Together, the town overthrew a despot. It only happened because they came together as one. From one of the scenes has come a saying, "Todos a la una, como Fuenteovejuna." (Everyone together like Fuenteovejuna.) Of course, the collective can also come together and create mob violence that only ends in a whimper of regret and subdued awakenings. Which is what happened in the true story.
The true story lies in the end of the feudal system and the rise of the monarchy as a centralizing power. Land belonged either to a lord or to the king. Entire towns were private property rented out to their inhabitants. The military Order of Calatrava was one of those lords. They literally owned Fuenteovejuna. Over a hundred years before the story occurred, the lords of Córdoba, were forced to exchange Fuenteovejuna and its surrounding land for other, less fertile, lands that were owned by the Order. Now, the allegiance of the lords of Córdoba and of the Order of Calatrava is important, because Córdoba owed allegiance to the monarch of Castile, and the Order owed allegiance to the Pope. The new Queen of Castile, Isabel, and her husband Fernando, King of Aragón, wanted to unify not just the Spanish peninsula, but to make their power to do so undisputable. They gave preference in territorial squabbles to those who professed to them their loyalty over those whose loyalties lay elsewhere. Córdoba was never content with the decision over Fuenteovejuna and wanted it back. So a plan was hatched.
The comendador of Fuenteovejuna (whose real name was apparently Fernando Ramírez de Guzmán) was neither a monster nor a depraved soul. What he was, was a competent tax collector who had recently raised the tribute the inhabitants were forced to pay, making the natives restless. The emissaries sent from Córdoba played upon that, and roiled up the feelings among the neighbors of the town. Things went along just fine in the eyes of the lords in Córdoba, and the whipped-up mob stormed the house of the comendador and started killing the servants who tried to stop them. The comendador came out and interceded for his servants, claiming they had done no wrong. He offered to return what the mob saw just from the last collection of taxes, but the mob had gone too far. One of them thrust his sword into the comendador's face, and the rest fell upon him, stabbing his lifeless body again and again. Then they plundered the house of all its gold and silver. Together with the emissaries sent from Córdoba, they asked the Monarchs to be returned to the lord of Córdoba and to be forgiven for what they had done, accusing the comendador of depravities no human could be forced to tolerate.
Because it worked in their favor, and no love was lost with the Order of Calatrava, the Monarchs forgave the town, and the incident was considered more a symbol of triumph over injustice rather than the ultimate consequence of mob violence. And when Lope de Vega turned it into a theatrical work of art, it became a romantic representation of right over might.
The play is still put on in the town of Fuente Obejuna. This year it has been playing since Tuesday, and today the last act is to be played. It is not put on every year, but only from time to time. This year marks the 540th anniversary of the original incident. The actors are mostly residents of Fuente Obejuna, at least since the beginning of the 1990's, and it must be something wonderful to see. The last scenes can't be played at the site of the actual house of Fernán Gómez, though. The ruins of his house were eventually covered by the church of Nuestra Señora del Castillo (Our Lady of the Castle). Quite ironic.
This is the pdf document where I found most of the information. It's in Spanish, but quite useful.
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