Irrigation and Society in Medieval Valencia
Thomas F. Glick
Irrigation of Vineyards
[246] Contrary to the practice in Spain today, vineyards were often irrigated in medieval Valencia, as shown in the account of a fifteenth-century agricultural worker:
Account of that which En Miquel Giner owes me, En Bernat Ebri, of that which I have spent from my own pocket in caring for his vineyards in the present year of 1438. (1)
First, he owes for pruning (podar) and cultivating (exarmentar) 4 irrigated vineyards (vinyes de la orta), and it appears in detail just as he and I had already figured it out 4£ 19s
Item, for pruning the unirrigated vineyard (vinya del secá), for 29 men at the rate of 3s. a day 4£ 7s
Item, for irrigating the four vineyards of the huerta, at 4s. each 16s
Item, for cultivating the "heir's vineyard" (la vinya del hereu), 18 men at the rate of 3S. 2d. 3£ 1s
Item, for cultivating the widow's vineyard, 19 workdays at 3s. 2£ 17s
Item, for the vineyard of el morestrell for cultivating, 19 days at 3s. 6d. 3£ 7s
Item, for the vineyard of el mancurro, 19 men, at 3s. 6d., which are: 3£ 6s 6d
Item, for cultivating the unirrigated vineyard, as long as the season lasts, there were 29 workdays,
at the rate of 3s. 4£ 7s
Item, for pruning (sporgar) all the vineyards 1£ 10s
[247]Item, for repairing the road used by the cequiers 7s 6d
Item, for irrigating the "heir's vineyard" 4s
Item, for hoeing (manchegar) 14 workdays at 3s.
2£ 6s
All what I have paid out for him totals, 31 lliures 3 sous 6 diners.
(2)
1. ARV, Gobernación, 2262, 3rd hand, fol. 23r (Aug. 28, 1438).