Where did the Textile Fragment from the Reliquary of St. Librada go?
This textile fragment was found in the reliquary of St. Librada in the Cathedral of Siguenza in Guadalajara, Spain. Construction of the Cathedral of Siguenza was initiated in 1124 AD under the leadership of Bishop Don Bernardo of Agen, after Siguenza was reclaimed from Muslim rule during the Reconquista. The Cathedral of Siguenza houses the Altar of St. Librada as well as St. Librada’s reliquary.
It is common for surviving textiles from the Middle Ages to be found preserved in church treasuries. It is thought that this textile as well as another similar medallion silk found in the reliquary of St. Librada were taken as war loot by Alfonso VII of Castile, a Christian king, when his armies invaded Almeria, Spain in 1147.
In the same way that the crusades introduced a new avenue for textile circulation: crusaders began carrying silks and other treasures home to western Europe as booty, the Reconquista provided an avenue for Christian soldiers of the north to return from Islamic Spain, where textile production centers had developed, with luxurious silks taken as war loot.
It was also common during the crusades for fine silks to be used to transport relics home from eastern lands or other places of battle, like southern Spain, so it is possible this textile was employed to transport relics.
In 1953 this textile fragment as well as others found in the Reliquary of St. Librada were sold to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston by Paul Berliz.