The Economic Impact of Jurisdictional Lordship in Communities under Lay Lords in Catalonia (Mid-14 th to 15 th Centuries)

Abstract This article explores the complex relationships between lay lords and local communities in Late Medieval Catalonia, with a particular focus on examples from its north-eastern region during the mid-14 th to late-15 th centuries, a period traditionally associated with economic decline and a purported crisis of the nobility. It examines the extent to which personal and familial affairs of lords and their lineages shaped the lives of their subjects and the economic activities within their domains. Additionally, it challenges the prevailing assumption that baronial manors operated in isolation, relying solely on the personal status of their lords. It also suggests that such manors instead performed as effectively as communities with other jurisdictional status.