The work control books of the Almudaina Royal Palace and their relationship to the real incomes of the Attorney General of the Kingdom of Majorca, the first third of the fourteenth century

Abstract

The Almudaina Royal Palace is one of the major urban projects designed by Jaime II, King of Mallorca, which started in 1305, and did not end until 1315-1316. This paper focuses on the study of three account books registered in the Historical Archive of Majorca related to these works, specifically the years 1309, 1310 and 1313. These records allow us to know, in detail, not only the costs of construction and remodeling of this emblematic building, but also the way of building in the island in the early fourteenth century. The paper analyzes the costs of the master builders and professionals, unskilled workers, women and slaves, and the materials recorded, funding sources used and their relation to the income and expenses of the Attorney General of Mallorca during that period. These Llibres de la Almudayna are the oldest documents available about this emblematic building in the Kingdom of Mallorca and are a reliable and useful source for historical research of that time.