Instructions for use

The digital map available on Esri's ArcGIS platform is made up basically of layers of different areas or polygons (for territories and most of the courts) and locations (places of origin and cited locations) which can be superimposed and viewed on a base map. There are 14 layers in all:

• 4 show the territories of the four periods illustrated: 1150, 1200, 1250, and 1300.
• 4 show the distribution of the courts coinciding with those periods.
• 4 show the place of origin of over 100 troubadours, according to the period selected.
• 1 shows all the place names within the domains of the kings of Aragon (and in this case also of the kings of Navarre) that are mentioned in the corpus of troubadour poetry.
• 1 shows reference points to provide basic orientation.

All 14 layers, as well as the base layer, are listed —and can be selected by the user— in the ‘Contents’ section on the left hand side of the screen. There is no limit to the number of layers that can be selected at any one time, although some information may not be shown if there are duplicate locations or major incompatibilities in the information. It is therefore recommended that only layers belonging to the same period are selected together. It is worth bearing this in mind if you intend to print from the maps as the size of the digital map is noticeably reduced when printed.

In the same panel on the left hand side of the screen, by clicking on the ‘Show table’ icon under the name of each layer, a window appears below the map listing the corresponding blocs or locations, which can be arranged alphabetically or by number. By clicking on any item in a list, it will be shown highlighted in turquoise edging on the map. Press Ctrl to select more than one item.

The same information can be accessed by clicking on the polygons which will bring up a pop-up window with the most important data for each element. Note that the entries in the lists and the pop-up windows feature links to files on the Cançoners DB. This has been done to avoid overloading the maps with information while still providing as complete a set of data as possible. Before consulting the Cançoners DB for the first time, you have to register as a user, and ensure that your browser allows pop-ups.

In the Cançoners DB there is a section dedicated specifically to the courts, in particular troubadour courts.  Most troubadours, as authors of compositions in the songbooks featured in the database, have an entry that gives their name, place of origin, the time span of their activity, their social and professional category, an identification code (PC), and their generation. A new file has been created for each of the courts giving the name by which it is known (normally the family name associated with the location), the principal geographical location (the ‘capital’ in the case of established territorial entities), the lord or lady of the court (bearing in mind that in powerful matrimonies in royal houses and some aristocratic houses, it is possible that both husband and wife hold sway over their own courts), and an approximate start and end date for each institution, as well as a field for key bibliographical references. The head of the court is an individual who has been formerly introduced in the persons field. Other people can be linked to the court (in particular, but not exclusively, troubadours or other authors), as well as various other elements which also have their own entries, namely manuscripts, printed editions, documents, works, and places.

We welcome any comments from users regarding possible improvements to the maps and the information therein, as well as any errors or omissions. Please contact us at the following email address: trobeu@udg.edu.