Couto Mixto
Encyclopedia
Couto Misto was an independent microstate
on the border between Spain and Portugal. It was composed of the villages of Santiago de Rubiás
, Rubiás
(now in the Spanish municipality of Calvos de Randín
), and Meaus
(now in the Spanish municipality of Baltar
), all located in the Salas
Valley, Ourense
, Galiza. The territory of the Couto Misto also included a small uninhabited strip now part of the Portuguese municipality of Montalegre.
As a result of complex medieval manorial
relations, this land eluded both Portuguese and Spanish control for centuries, actually operating as a sovereign state
of its own right until the 1864 Treaty of Lisbon
that partitioned the territory between Spain (who annexed most of the land including the three villages) and Portugal (who remained with a smaller uninhabited strip of land). As a de facto
independent country, the inhabitants of the Couto Misto had numerous privileges, including exemption from military service and taxes, and could grant asylum
to outsiders and deny access to any foreign military contingent.
The adjective misto, meaning "mixed" or "joint", probably refers to the dual manorial
links of this territory with the feudal lords from the Duchy of Braganza
and the earldom of Monte-Rei. Another interpretation, sustained by oral traditions and some medieval documents (where the terms mystigos or místicos are used, meaning "mystical"), links the origin of the Couto with a myth of a pregnant fugitive princess, allegedly (Saint) Ilduaria Eriz, who found refuge in the villages of this territory and who was to give birth to (Saint) Rudesind Guterri
, granting privileges to its inhabitants in gratitude. This explanation may well be based on historical facts, as Ilduaria Eriz, one of the most important Galizan aristocrats in the 9th and 10th centuries, had the regions of Limia
, where the Couto is located, and what today is northern Portugal under her domains. More so, the birth of Rudesind has actually been placed in the Salas
Valley
Several historians have placed the origins of the Couto in the same period of the emergence of the Kingdom of Portugal, somewhere around the 12th century, which is supported by documents that date back to the early 1300s. Initially the Couto was under the jurisdiction of the Piconha Castle
(originally Portuguese but now within Spanish territory) but it eventually became tied to the noble houses of Braganza
and Monte-Rei. With the extinction of coutos in Portugal, initiated in 1692 and concluded in 1790, the Couto Misto was freed from its feudal ties functioning as a de facto
independent state up to its partition and annexation in 1868.
Interest for the Couto reemerged in the mid 1990s, leading to new research and subsequent academic publications. A joint summer program was organized by the University of Vigo
and the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro
in 1999 focusing on the history of the Couto. In 1998 the nonprofit Couto Misto Friendship Association (Asociación de Amigos do Couto Mixto) was established, followed in 2003 by the Couto Misto Community Association (Asociación de Veciños do Couto Mixto). Both organizations have reestablished the figure of the Homens de Acordo, with one person representing each of the villages, and also that of the Juiz Honorário (Honorary Judge) which is named each year in a ceremony held in the church of Santiago. The Chest of the Three Keys has also been restored with each of the keys being kept under the custody of the current Homens de Acordo.
Political moves regarding the Couto Misto have led to debates and resolutions in the Galizan, Spanish and European Parliaments. In May 2007 a motion (Proposición no de ley) was discussed and approved (with 303 votes in favour) by the Spanish Parliament
recognizing the singularity of the Couto Mixto as a historical and cultural enclave and calling for measures that allow for the social and economical development of the territory. At the same time a similar motion was approved by the Galizan Parliament
, also recognizing the historical singularity of the Couto. In 2008 a written question was presented at the European Parliament
regarding the European Union's contribution to the revival of the Couto Mixto, defined as an "institution which was politically and administratively independent of the Spanish and Portuguese crowns."
Microstate
A microstate or ministate is a sovereign state having a very small population or very small land area, but usually both. Some examples include Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco, Nauru, Singapore, and Vatican City....
on the border between Spain and Portugal. It was composed of the villages of Santiago de Rubiás
Santiago de Rubiás
Santiago de Rubiás is a village in the municipality of Calvos de Randín, Ourense, Galiza. The census for 2007 showed 65 inhabitants. Until 1868 it formed with Meaus and Rubiás a de facto independent state called Couto Misto, of which Santiago was the capital....
, Rubiás
Rubiás
Rubiás is a village in the municipality of Calvos de Randín, Ourense, Galiza. The census for 2007 showed 97 inhabitants . Until 1868 it formed with Santiago de Rubiás and Meaus a de facto independent state called Couto Misto....
(now in the Spanish municipality of Calvos de Randín
Calvos de Randín
Calvos de Randím is a municipality in Ourense in the Galicia region of the north-west Iberian Peninsula. It is located to the very south of the province....
), and Meaus
Meaus
Meaus is a village in the municipality of Baltar, Ourense, Galiza. The census for 2007 showed 38 inhabitants . Until 1868 it formed with Santiago and Rubiás a de facto independent state called Couto Misto....
(now in the Spanish municipality of Baltar
Baltar, Ourense
Baltar is an interior municipality in Ourense in the Galicia region of north-west Spain....
), all located in the Salas
Salas River, Galiza
The Salas River is a tributary of the Lima. It borns in the Larouco mountains, within the municipality of Baltar, Ourense, Galiza. It flows through the territory of the Couto Misto, a former independent state, and the Portuguese village of Tourém. It flows in the Galizan town of Lobios....
Valley, Ourense
Ourense (province)
Ourense is a province of northwestern Spain, in the southeastern part of the Autonomous Community of Galicia. It is bordered by the provinces of Pontevedra in the west, Lugo in the north, León and Zamora in the east, and by Portugal in the south. With an area of 7,278 square km it is the only...
, Galiza. The territory of the Couto Misto also included a small uninhabited strip now part of the Portuguese municipality of Montalegre.
As a result of complex medieval manorial
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
relations, this land eluded both Portuguese and Spanish control for centuries, actually operating as a sovereign state
Sovereign state
A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
of its own right until the 1864 Treaty of Lisbon
Treaty of Lisbon (1864)
Treaty of Lisbon is a treaty on boundaries between Spain and Portugal from the mouth of the Minho River to the junction of the Caia River with the Guadiana River. Signed at Lisbon on 29 September 1864....
that partitioned the territory between Spain (who annexed most of the land including the three villages) and Portugal (who remained with a smaller uninhabited strip of land). As a de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
independent country, the inhabitants of the Couto Misto had numerous privileges, including exemption from military service and taxes, and could grant asylum
Right of asylum
Right of asylum is an ancient juridical notion, under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his or her own country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country, or church sanctuaries...
to outsiders and deny access to any foreign military contingent.
Origins
Even though the origins of the Couto Misto remain unclear, the name of this territory is greatly revealing. The term couto (coto in Spanish) comes from the Latin cautes/cautum, which refers generally to an area demarcated with boundary stones (cautos lapideos). According to Ferro Couselo, the term initially referred to the stones used to mark the boundaries of a given territory, but in the Middle Ages it was used to refer to a special set of territories which under the feudal system were exempt from the authority of the King holding a special economical, political and judicial regime. The special jurisdiction of the coutos was maintained through custom and given privileges, sustaining truly independent States within its boundaries that were defended by guards (couteiros).The adjective misto, meaning "mixed" or "joint", probably refers to the dual manorial
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
links of this territory with the feudal lords from the Duchy of Braganza
House of Braganza
The Most Serene House of Braganza , an important Portuguese noble family, ruled the Kingdom of Portugal and its colonial Empire, from 1640 to 1910...
and the earldom of Monte-Rei. Another interpretation, sustained by oral traditions and some medieval documents (where the terms mystigos or místicos are used, meaning "mystical"), links the origin of the Couto with a myth of a pregnant fugitive princess, allegedly (Saint) Ilduaria Eriz, who found refuge in the villages of this territory and who was to give birth to (Saint) Rudesind Guterri
Rudesind
Saint Rudesind was a Galician bishop and abbot. He was born into the nobility; his father was Count Gutierre Menéndez , brother-in-law to Ordoño II and supporter of Alfonso III of León, and his mother was St. Ilduaria Eriz . Rudesind was related to the abbess Saint Senorina...
, granting privileges to its inhabitants in gratitude. This explanation may well be based on historical facts, as Ilduaria Eriz, one of the most important Galizan aristocrats in the 9th and 10th centuries, had the regions of Limia
A Limia
A Limia is a comarca in the Galician Province of Ourense. The overall population of this local region is 24,266 .-Municipalities:Baltar, Os Blancos, Calvos de Randín, Porqueira, Rairiz de Veiga, Sandiás, Sarreaus, Trasmiras, Vilar de Barrio, Vilar de Santos and Xinzo de Limia....
, where the Couto is located, and what today is northern Portugal under her domains. More so, the birth of Rudesind has actually been placed in the Salas
Salas River, Galiza
The Salas River is a tributary of the Lima. It borns in the Larouco mountains, within the municipality of Baltar, Ourense, Galiza. It flows through the territory of the Couto Misto, a former independent state, and the Portuguese village of Tourém. It flows in the Galizan town of Lobios....
Valley
Several historians have placed the origins of the Couto in the same period of the emergence of the Kingdom of Portugal, somewhere around the 12th century, which is supported by documents that date back to the early 1300s. Initially the Couto was under the jurisdiction of the Piconha Castle
Piconha Castle
The Piconha Castle is a Portuguese medieval fortification now situated in the Galizan municipality of Calvos de Randín, Ourense, Galiza. The castle, now in ruins, dates back to the early period of Portuguese independence and was constructed over a previous Callaeci fort...
(originally Portuguese but now within Spanish territory) but it eventually became tied to the noble houses of Braganza
House of Braganza
The Most Serene House of Braganza , an important Portuguese noble family, ruled the Kingdom of Portugal and its colonial Empire, from 1640 to 1910...
and Monte-Rei. With the extinction of coutos in Portugal, initiated in 1692 and concluded in 1790, the Couto Misto was freed from its feudal ties functioning as a de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
independent state up to its partition and annexation in 1868.
The privileges of Couto Mixto
- Nationality
- Taxes
- Military service
- Right to bear arms
- Official stamps
- Self-government
- Right of asylum
- Fairs and markets
- Road right-of-way
- Crops
Current status
University of Vigo
The University of Vigo is a public university located in the city of Vigo, Galicia, Spain. There are three campuses:* Lagoas-Marcosende, between the municipalities of Vigo and Mos;* A Xunqueira, in Pontevedra;* As Lagoas, in Ourense;...
and the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro
University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro
The University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro is a public university located in Vila Real, Portugal. It was created in 1986 from the structure of the former Instituto Politécnico de Vila Real, a polytechnic institution dating from 1974. Today UTAD has campuses in Chaves and Miranda do Douro...
in 1999 focusing on the history of the Couto. In 1998 the nonprofit Couto Misto Friendship Association (Asociación de Amigos do Couto Mixto) was established, followed in 2003 by the Couto Misto Community Association (Asociación de Veciños do Couto Mixto). Both organizations have reestablished the figure of the Homens de Acordo, with one person representing each of the villages, and also that of the Juiz Honorário (Honorary Judge) which is named each year in a ceremony held in the church of Santiago. The Chest of the Three Keys has also been restored with each of the keys being kept under the custody of the current Homens de Acordo.
Political moves regarding the Couto Misto have led to debates and resolutions in the Galizan, Spanish and European Parliaments. In May 2007 a motion (Proposición no de ley) was discussed and approved (with 303 votes in favour) by the Spanish Parliament
Cortes Generales
The Cortes Generales is the legislature of Spain. It is a bicameral parliament, composed of the Congress of Deputies and the Senate . The Cortes has power to enact any law and to amend the constitution...
recognizing the singularity of the Couto Mixto as a historical and cultural enclave and calling for measures that allow for the social and economical development of the territory. At the same time a similar motion was approved by the Galizan Parliament
Parliament of Galicia
The Galician Parliament is the unicameral legislature of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain. It is formed by 75 deputies . Deputies are elected every four years in ordinary period, or extraordinarily upon dissolution and call of elections by the President of the Xunta of Galicia, by...
, also recognizing the historical singularity of the Couto. In 2008 a written question was presented at the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
regarding the European Union's contribution to the revival of the Couto Mixto, defined as an "institution which was politically and administratively independent of the Spanish and Portuguese crowns."
See also
- Principality of Andorra
- Delfim Modesto BrandãoDelfim Modesto BrandãoDelfim Modesto Brandão , also spelt with Spanish orthography as Delfín Modesto Brandón, was the second to last "Juiz" of the Couto Misto, taking office in January 1863, according to his memoirs, and followed by one last "Juiz" whose mandate ceased with the partition and formal annexation of the...
- Flag of the Couto MistoFlag of the Couto MistoThe flag of the Couto Misto, as described by the second to last head of state Delfim Modesto Brandão in his memoirs, is formed by two vertical bands, one of white and one of blue....
- Republic of Cospaia
- Republic of GoustGoustGoust is a hamlet in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department of southwestern France. For centuries it was governed as an independent republic, and was never formally annexed by France. Noted for its centenarians, one pensioner was reported to have reached the age of 123.- Geography :Goust is located on...
- List of historical unrecognized states
- MicrostateMicrostateA microstate or ministate is a sovereign state having a very small population or very small land area, but usually both. Some examples include Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco, Nauru, Singapore, and Vatican City....
- Neutral Moresnet
- Republic of NoliNoliNoli |Ligurian]] Nöi ) is a coast comune of Liguria, Italy, in the Province of Savona, it is about SW of Genoa by rail, about 4 m above sea-level. It has a population of 2,957. In 1901, it had a population of 1,985...
- Republic of SenaricaSenaricaSenarica is a village in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. With a population of fewer than 300 people, Senarica was an independent republic for about four centuries until the end of the eighteenth century...
- Kingdom of TavolaraKingdom of TavolaraThe Kingdom of Tavolara was a small independent state existing in the 19th and 20th centuries in Tavolara Island, off the northeast coast of Sardinia. Ruled by the Bertoleoni family, it was one of the smallest kingdoms in the world...
Articles
- López Mira, Álvaro Xosé (2008). "O Couto Mixto: Autogoberno, fronteiras e soberanías distantes," in Madrygal, 11: 35-39.
- Rodríguez Cruz, José (2006). "O Couto Mixto. Lendas de tradición Oral," in Lethes, 7: 28-33.
- Hernández Figueirido, José Ramón (2006). "Couto Mixto, poboacións promiscuas e xeografía ecleasiástica," in Lethes, 7: 34-48.
- López Mira, Álvaro Xosé (2005). "A crise do estado en zonas fronteirizas: estudo de caso do Couto Mixto como modelo sociopolítico alternativo ao estado," in Pereira Menaut, Antonio Carlos and Rojo Salgado, Arjimiro, Eds., Multiconstitucionalismo e multigoberno: Estados e rexións na Unión Europea. Santiago de Compostela: Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, pp. 177–184.
- Campos, Xosé Maria (2003). "O Couto Misto: a que puido ser a Andorra Galega," in Alborada, December 2003: 48-49.
- Seara, Eliseu (2002). "O Couto Misto de Rubiás," in Revista Aqvae Flaviae, 28: pp. 41–70
- Ledo Cabido, Bieito, Ed. (2002). "Couto Mixto," in Enciclopedia Galega Universal. Vigo: Ir Indo http://www.egu.es/egu/Html/index.php?op=ver&id=41026.
- López Mira, Álvaro Xosé (2001). "O dereito de participación política dos cidadáns do Couto Mixto," in Grial, 152: 575-579.
- García Mañá, Luís Manuel (2001). "Couto Mixto, unha república esquecida," in Tempo Exterior, 3 http://www.igadi.org/arquivo/te_se03/couto_mixto_unha_republica_esquecida.htm.
- Morais, Maria João Moreira de (2000). "Os povos promsíscuos e o Couto Misto na raia transmontana/ourensana," in Kremer, Dieter, Ed., Actas do VI Congreso Internacional de Estudos Galegos. Trier: Universität Trier, pp. 861–867.
- Costa, João Gonçalves da (1968). "O Couto Misto de Rubiás," in Montalegre e terras de Barroso: notas históricas sobre Montalegre, freguesias do concelho e Região de Barroso. Montalegre: Câmara Municipal de Montalegre, pp. 132 and ss.
External links
- "Galegos de Cá e de Lá" documentary, 2008 Asociación de Amigos do Couto Mixto Asociación de Veciños do Couto Mixto Los Privilegios del Coto Mixto
- European Parliament Question on the EU contribution to the revival of the Couto Mixto Proposición non de lei sobre a divulgación do valor histórico e o desenvolvemento cultural e social do Couto Mixto (07/PNP-0335/20500) Proposición no de Ley relativa al reconocimiento de la singularidad del Couto Mixto como enclave Histórico-Cultural (162/000507) La 'república independiente' del Couto Os novos xuíces honorarios darán pulo ás tradicións culturais do Couto Mixto Un Couto de cultura
- Couto Mixto on WikiMapia