Stones with a name: the gravestone collection

"Mrs." Dolça had a very common name among medieval Catalan Jews. She was married or widowed, although we cannot be sure that Abrabalia was the name of her husband. If the hypothesis is correct, she belonged to the Ravaias (Abrabalia in Hebrew), the most prominent of all Girona Jewish families. This very powerful family settled in Catalonia in the 13th century from Castille. Among the women of the Ravaia family, there was also a Bonafilla, daughter of N'Astruc Ravaia, who in 1283 exercised as a moneylender without the need, it would seem, for a male to support her in the profession.

Salomó Cabrit may have been the Perpignan Jew who owned possessions in Girona documented at the end of the 14th century, but we do not have any biographical information about his wife or daughter. Salomó, who died in 1395, was the son of Mossé Cabrit, a Banyoles Jew, and had at least two brothers: Abraham Cabrit (Girona Jew as of 1375, died in 1391, the family member we have most documentation for, especially regarding moneylending; we know that he and his descendants lived in the Girona Jewish quarter) and Asmies Cabrit (married to Tolrana, of the Perpignan Jews). In 1372, Salomó Cabrit gave to his brother Abraham all the rights he might have on the house that had belonged to their late father. The house was located in the Girona Jewish quarter, within the block of houses in the disappeared street that reached as far as the present small square Institut Vell, according to a document from 1296 that mentions the house of Mossé Cabrit.

Estellina was the daughter of Astruc Cohen. The fact of her father and not a husband being named suggests that the girl died young. The father was called nasi (prince), the title given to prominent men in the Jewish community. Indeed, he was one of the most influential people in the Jewish quarter between 1386 and 1415. According to the list of aljama's councillors in the ordinances of 1386 and 1391, Astruc Cohen served as an assistant the third year, and was among the new councillors in the reforms of 1391. Prior to that date, his name can be found among the taxpayers of the aljama in Hebrew documentation, and he was also a moneylender. Following the riots of 1391, he was among those imprisoned in Torre Gironella. At the beginning of the 15th century, the queen appointed twelve councillors to settle a payment owed to the heirs of the knight Joan Janer, including Astruc Cohen (year 1408), although he was not required at the following year's summons. The last news of Estellina's father dates back to 1415. That year, book inventories were made in order to seize copies of the Talmud and Astruc appears as a councillor at the presentation of the inventories. Therefore, Estellina formed part of Girona's Jewish elite, and may have experienced the 1391 riots and subsequent decline of the Jewish community. After her death and in a context of decline, the family continued with Judaism.

Meirona was a very common diminutive among medieval Catalan Jewish women, but there are not sufficient data on the tombstone to identify her.

Only the initial of the name is preserved, which could be Astruga, since she was the wife of Mossé Astruc. Shortly before the riots of 1391, he appeared as one of the new leaders of the aljama. After the attack, Mossé Astruc was among those imprisoned in Torre Gironella, and continued in Judaism. His name is on the list of those who submitted book inventories in 1415, and we know the number of volumes that he had at that time: thirty-two books (only five people had a higher number of volumes). Mossé Astruc had a sister, Ester, who became Christian and took the name of Joana, marrying Pere Joan, a convert (previously Mossé Cabrit, son and heir of Abraham Cabrit, who was the brother of Salomó Cabrit). On August 9, 1395, Joana, Pere and Puigvert d'Agramunt sold an allodial house in the Jewish quarter to Mossé Astruc and his wife Dolça. And in 1417 said couple sold a house in the Jewish quarter to Pere de Berguedà, provost of the Pia Almoina of the Cathedral. In documents from 1415 and 1416, there is also mention of a courtyard that Mossé Astruc sold to the aljama. This tombstone raises many questions, since the women's name that appears on it does not coincide with the documentation from the archives.

No data has been found for Regina. We know that she was a widow because the epitaph says "Take their places in the Garden of Eden", referring to both members of a couple. Although the name Salem does not appear in the Girona documentation, Salom is present: Salomó Salom was a Jew from the second half of the 14th century, prior to 1391; his name appears in a paper notebook that recorded payments made for the tax called ajuda.

Estellina is the only recorded woman mentioned alone in the documentation. We do not have data for her family of birth, but she married an important Girona Jew, Bonastruc Jucef. Her husband played an important role in organizing the aljama at the beginning of the 15th century, by designation of the queen, and was also a major moneylender. In 1412, Estellina's husband held a convert girl called Elionor against her will, although we do not know why. In the payment of the taille tax in 1426, Bonastruc Jucef contributed 30 sous and 6 diners (5.5% of the total collected). This was a very significant amount, and only five families paid more. Following the death of Bonastruc Jucef, Benvenist Samuel was the executor of his will and administrator of his fortune. Probably the former's son-in-law, Benvenist Samuel appeared in Girona from 1434 until 1462, and acted as overlord in the community. Of the thirty contributors from the Girona aljama in the collection of the one hundred sous taille tax of the year 1450, the biggest payer was Benvenist Samuel (with 78 diners, 6.5% of the total) and the first woman (the fourth highest contributor) was his mother-in-law Estellina, widow of Bonastruc Jucef (with 66 diners, 5.5% of all taxes paid). Shortly afterwards, in the year 1458, the inventory of cutler Pere Riera, who lived in Ballesteries Street, reveals that N'Estellina, a Jew, had a silver strap with a gold-headed buckle, with fourteen gold-plated panels, a silver bracelet and two spoons, also silver. Although we cannot be sure it is the same person, it is likely.

This is the oldest and only tombstone in the entire collection that states the age of the deceased: twenty-two. He was the clever, charming and select Salomó, son of Jucef ben Teca. Unfortunately, we do not know his biography. His epitaph begins with "I will weep tears in mourning and eulogies for his mother and brothers", which could indicate that these were his closest relatives and his father had already died and he had not yet formed a family of his own.

Issac was one of the most common names among medieval Jews: in the 13th century, fifty-seven Jewish men have been documented with that name in Girona alone.

It has not been possible to identify this person since Salomó was a common name and the name of his father was not preserved in full. However, it would appear that it might be the Des Mercadell family, which is well documented in Girona throughout the 14th century.

It has not been possible to find documentation regarding this person. In Girona at the beginning of the 14th century there is documentation for a Hanoc from Castelló, a Hanoc Condom and a Hanoc Cundranya, but no Hanoc Saporta. The father of the deceased passed on a very old Girona surname, Saporta, which had different variants (Porta, Saporta, ça Porta). Several men from the lineage acted as secretaries and prominent men in the aljama, but if there was one outstanding member of the family, it was Bonastruc ça Porta, Mossé ben Nahman, the most important 13th-century authority on the Talmud. Furthermore, in 1305, a Barcelona Jew named Saltell de Porta, son of Vidal de Porta, sold an annual census on a piece of land located on the mountain of Girona to two Christians.

Neither the son nor the father have been documented. The name Abravalia is the Hebrew form of Ravalla, Ravaia or Ravaya. This family from Castille settled in Girona and Castelló d'Empúries before spreading to several Catalan towns. They managed to attain great power not only in the Girona community, but also in the royal court. The most notable members attained a great deal of power in the 13th century: Astruc Ravaia was appointed bailiff of Girona, and was exempt from taxes; his son Jucef was a royal bailiff in Besalú and in Girona, administrator of the royal patrimony, royal adviser and first royal treasurer; his brother Mossé was general bailiff of Catalonia, tax collector and seller of royal income. In the 14th century, several members of the Ravaia family were recorded in relation to the houses they owned in the Girona Jewish quarter. Abraham Ravaia had a house on Força Street, and the city councillors (known as jurats) bought him stone to use on the walls. Astruc Caravida bought Issac Ravaia's houses (with rights to light, carriage, water and a patio); his widow gave them to their daughters, Bonafilla and Ester, who sold them to Bonastruc Vidal. Shortly afterwards, the city's jurats made them tear the houses down.

Although Sésset is a common name among the Jewish people of Girona, no documentation has been found in Girona for any Jessua, son of Sésset, or Yehoshua ben Sheshet.

One of the most common names among the medieval Jewish people of Girona, Jucef must only have been a child at the time of his death. The epitaph makes this clear with the words "delightful boy". We have no other reference to his family than the name of his father, Rabbi Jacob, who has not been identified in the documentation from the archives.

The first person of this name in Girona is documented in a loan in 1227. The first name Astruc is present in members of this family in at least four consecutive generations, and was probably reserved for the first-born son. At the end of the 13th century, the Caravida were also in Besalú, Manresa, Vilafranca and Vic. In Girona, one of the most prominent figures of this family was Astruc Caravida, father of Ester, who was involved in a very conflictive divorce in the middle of the 14th century (married to David Bonjorn de Barri, of Cotlliure, she only obtained a divorce from her husband after stealing his books and scientific instruments in 1337; Jacob ben David Bonjorn, author of the famous astronomical tables, was the son of Ester and grandson of Astruc Caravida). In 1347, Astruc's will initiated a charitable legacy for the alms of the Jewish quarter (heqdesh). After his death, the family began a period of decline, and never regained the prestige and power of the previous era. Some family members, such as Salomó Caravida, were doctors, and others were involved in running the community, acting as secretaries of the aljama. Caravida has also been recorded as a first name: Caravida Ravaia, Caravida Saporta, Caravida Caracosa, all members of important families in Girona Jewish society, and very possibly children of women from the Caravida family.

This small fragment of the tombstone does not allow the person to be identified. The name Ardut is not mentioned in Girona, either in Hebrew or Latin documents. However, in Huesca (Aragon), there was a whole family of doctors called Avinardut, or Ibn Ardut, between the 14th and 15th centuries.

We do not have sufficient data to identify David Jucef, or David son of Jucef, for such a broad period as the whole of the 15th century.

This is the only tombstone in the Museum from Castelló d'Empúries; unfortunately the deceased could not be identified. Haninai may correspond to the name Aninai/Aninay/Avinai, a family of great importance in Girona in the 15th century. This family probably had branches in nearby populations and within its area of influence.