The Meaning of Hispania in Mediaeval Majorca

Abstract

The mediaeval concept of Hispania/España has been used by some in Spanish historiography to legitimize the existence of the Spanish nation from the Middle Ages. Leaving aside the manipulative and ideological aspect of this approach, when looked at from the perspective provided by documents from Majorca, the authors perceive a very different impression. The choronym Hispania was used between the 13th and 15th centuries to denote mainly al-Andalus (i.e., Islamic Iberia). At other times (rarely), it was also used to refer to Christian regions, albeit excluding the lands of the Crown of Aragon and the Balearic Islands themselves.