This book examines the role of written agreements in eleventh- and twelfth-century Catalonia, and how they determined the social and political order. In addition to offering insights into subjects as diverse as the power of counts and bishops and the organization of rural societies, it addresses several current debates in medieval studies: the question of feudalism, the "transformation of the year 1000," medieval literacy, and the nature of Mediterranean societies. It is thus a local study that has wide implications for the history of medieval Europe.

List of figures; List of tables; Acknowledgements; Notes on citations, dates and names; List of abbreviations; Map; Introduction: 1. Catalonia and its neighbours; 2. Feudalism in eleventh- and twelfth-century Catalonia; 3. The sources; 4. Historiography of the convenientia; Part I. The First Convenientia: Social and Documentary Change Around the Year 1000: 5. The documentary context; 6. Early Catalan convenientiae, c. 1021-50; 7. Convenientiae and the 'crisis' of Catalan society; Part II. Making Agreements: 8. Castle tenure and military service; 9. Structures of power in convenientiae; 10. Treaties; 11. Dispute settlement; 12. Exploiting the land; 13. Family settlements; 14. Promises; Part III. Keeping Agreements; 15. Penalty clauses; 16. Sureties; 17. Procedure; 18. Case studies: Pallars and Empúries/Rosselló; 19. Oaths; Part IV. Foundations (the Eleventh Century): 20. Counts; 21. Lay aristocracy; 22. Episcopal castles; 23. Monastic military lordship; Part V. Fortunes (the Twelfth Century): 24. Renewal; 25. Conflict; 26. Change; Part VI. Writing and power: 27. Administration; 28. The Usatges de Barcelona; 29. The Liber feudorum maior; 30. The end of the convenientia; Table of published documents; Works cited; Index of names; Subject index.