The figure of Guibert, a key figure in medieval Catalan culture
The recent studies carried out by professor Jesús Alturo of the Autonomous University of Barcelona have revealed that the writings so far attributed to the abbot and bishop Oliba were actually the work of the grammarian Guibert from Vigata. This discovery has highlighted the importance of this character in medieval Catalan culture.
The cultural imprint of Guibert in Catalonia
Thanks to the study of the grammatical, lexical and stylistic peculiarities present in the original legal texts signed by Guibert, Alturo has been able to trace the cultural imprint he left on the territory. In addition, Guibert has been attributed the authorship of Latin works that until now were anonymous or had been assigned to other authors, such as Bishop Oliba.
The texts attributed to Guibert
Among the texts that have been attributed to Guibert are works such as the Funeral Poem of Count Ramon Borrell of Barcelona, the Poem of Counts buried in Ripoll and the Encyclical Letter announcing the death of Bernat de Tallaferro, brother of Bishop Oliba. It has also been discovered that Guibert participated in the drafting of the constitutions of Peace and Truce, which were established to combat the violence exercised by the feudal nobles against the peasants.
Guibert’s legacy
In addition to his contribution in the field of grammar and literature, Guibert was also responsible for the critical edition of the works of the Roman poet Virgil. His work revitalized the Latin language and demonstrated a very high command and a clear and literary expression. Although his public presence diminished after 1030, Guibert continued to be loved and respected by his contemporaries.
The collaboration with Oliba and his public disappearance
Guibert maintained a close collaboration with Bishop Oliba until 1030, when his public presence was significantly reduced. According to Alturo, this disappearance could have been caused by the envy of another prominent personage of the time, Ponç Bonfill Marc. Despite this, Guibert never lost the esteem and respect of those closest to him.
Tribute to Jesús Alturo
During Professor Alturo’s retirement ceremony, the poet Jordi Llavina read some sonnets in tribute to the paleographer. In addition, the book ‘Jesús Alturo i Perucho, philologist, palaeographer, cultural historian: brief biobibliography’ was presented, which highlights the researcher’s innovative contributions and renewed methodology.