Las Siete Partidas, or Seven Divisions, is the major law code of
thirteenth-century Spain, compiled by Alfonso X the Learned of Castile.
Seven centuries later, this compendium of legal and customary
information remains the foundation of modern Spanish law. In addition,
its influence is notable in the law of Spain's former colonies,
including Texas, California, and Louisiana. The work's extraordinary
scope offers unparalleled insight into the social, intellectual, and
cultural history of medieval Spain. Built on the armature of a law code,
it is in effect an encyclopedia of medieval life.
Long out of print, the English translation of Las Siete
Partidas--first commissioned in 1931 by the American Bar
Association--returns in a superior new edition. Editor and distinguished
medieval historian Robert I. Burns, S.J., provides critical historical
material in a new general Introduction and extensive introductions to
each Partida. Jerry Craddock of the University of California, Berkeley,
provides updated bibliographical notes, and Joseph O'Callaghan of
Fordham University contributes a section on law in Alfonso's time.
Las Siete Partidas is presented in five volumes, each available
separately:
The Medieval Church, Volume 1: The World of Clerics and Laymen
(Partida I)
Medieval Government, Volume 2: The World of Kings and Warriors
(Partida II)
The Medieval World of Law, Volume 3: Lawyers and Their Work (Partida
III)
Family, Commerce, and the Sea, Volume 4: The Worlds of Women and
Merchants (Partidas IV and V)
Underworlds, Volume 5: The Dead, the Criminal, and the Marginalized
(Partidas VI and VII)
