Dominguito del Val
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Dominguito del Val (c. 1243 – c. 1250) was a legendary child in medieval Spain, allegedly a
Saint Dominguito is no longer included on the official Roman Catholic liturgical calendar; however, there is still a chapel dedicated to him in the
Dominguito's legend
The historical basis for Dominguito is unclear. No medieval references to the legend have been found; the first texts that recount the tale date from 1583,
According to the legend, Dominguito was born on 1243 in Zaragoza and was admitted as a cathedral altar-boy and chorister at La Seo because of beautiful voice. He disappeared on 31 August 1250, when he was seven years old. Some months later, some boatmen discovered the decomposed corpse on the bank of Ebro river.[1]
The story goes that one day on his way home the boy met a Jew by the name of Albayuceto, deceived him and brought him to a house in the Jewish quarter, where he was nailed to a cross and tortured until he died. In an effort to dispose of the body, they beheaded him, cut off the feet and buried the corpse on the banks of the Ebro River.[citation needed]
The child's bones were later interred in the cathedral, where in the chapel of Santo Dominguito del Val they are still revered as holy relics. Dominguito is still revered as a saint and celebrated in 31 August in the
The story resembles others like the so-called "Holy Children" of La Guardia (inspired by a real inquisitorial process 1491).
The story has similarities with other tales circulating in medieval Europe alleging the murder of a child at hands of Jews. These were symptomatic of the growing anti-Semitism in the Middle Ages. During the Middle Ages it was very frequent that in the face of any misfortune -weather, droughts, etc.- the Jewish community was blamed.[3] Often, these stories were used to rationalize imposing greater repressive measures against the Jews.[1]
References
- ^ a b c Gil, Sergio Martinez. "The Martyrdom of Santo Domenguito de Val", Historia de Aragon
- ^ page 286 on the Spanish Catholic Liturgical Calendar 2016–2017.
- ^ Winkler, Albert (2005). "The Medieval Holocaust: The Approach of the Plague and the Destruction of Jews in Germany, 1348-1349 Destruction of Jews in Germany, 1348-13". Faculty Publications: 7. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
Sources
- ISBN 978-84-95379-49-8.
- Whitechapel, Simon. Flesh Inferno: Atrocities of Torquemada and the Spanish Inquisition (Creation Books, 2003). ISBN 1-84068-105-5
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