El Rex Fidelissimus. Rivalidad hispano-francesa en la Castilla de Alfonso XI (1312-1350)

RESUMEN: "Intelectuales" o "letrados" en la Castilla de Alfonso XI estaban convencidos de que su rey era el primero entre los principes cristianos. Incluso un observador critico de la corte real como Alvaro Pelayo le honraba como nxfidelissimus (rey religiosisimo). Esto demuestra el caracter prematuro de la afirmacion de Joseph Strayer de que a mediados del siglo Xlll la idea de la singular posicion del rey frances ya habia sido aceptado umversalmente. El concepto del rexfidelissimus era la respuesta castellana al concepto frances del nx chnstianisumus (rey cristianisimo). No obstante, ambos conceptos no son identicos, porque rex fidelissimus tenia una connotacion muy feudal. La idea de que el rey castellano, como campeon de la cristiandad, sobrepasaba a todos los otros principes tampoco tenia la importancia y continuidad sugeridas por Nieto Soria, por lo menos no hasta mediados del siglo xv. Por tanto, parece que historiadores que opinan que los reyes guerreros de Castilla sentian relativamente poca necesidad de conceptos y ritos asociados con la realeza sagrada tienen razon. ABSTRACT: "Intellectuals" or luteratiin. the reign of Alfonso XI of Castile were convinced that their king was the first among Christian princes. Even a critical observer of the royal court. Uke Alvaro Pelayo honored him as rex fidelissimus (most religious king). This proA^es the rashness of Joseph Strayer's assertion that already by the middle of the thirteenth century the idea of the unique position of the French king had been universally accepted. The concept of the rexfidelisnmus was the Castilian response to the French concept of the rex dmslianissimus (most Christian king). StiU, both concepts are not identical, because rex fidelissimus has a strong feudal connotation. Neither did the idea that the CastUian king, as the champion of Christendom, surpassed au other rulers possess the importance and continuity suggested by Nieto Soria, at least not until die middle of the fifteenth century. So it looks like historians who argue that the warrior kings of Castile had comparatively little need of concepts and rites associated with sacral kingship are right.