WRITING FOR RULING: THREE MEDIEVAL STATUTE BOOKS OF THE CATHEDRAL OF SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA

The aim of this research is the study of the Statute books 1, 2 and 3 of the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, created in the 14th and 15th centuries with the purpose of ruling the daily life of the institution. We shall start by analysing the diplomatic nature of these codices, their content and function and the bond stablished among these elements and the materiality of each book: the features of the support, the illumination and especially the script of each codex. These issues, along with the information about their material authors and the historical context in which they were elaborated, will allow us to show why and how writing became an essential tool for the government of the medieval church.