Material Performances: Heroic Threads in the Crónica de Castilla

Medieval courtly culture often relied on corporeality and materiality to structure its social order and indicate its members’ power and prestige. However, these aspects were rarely integrated into the historiographical discourse. This article explores how the Crónica de Castilla (c. 1300) employs material culture as an additional strategy to represent characters and interpersonal relationships. Via carefully selected scenes involving Rodrigo Díaz, the Cid, and two rulers who interact with various him, the study examines the impact of narrative materiality on identity and memory formation in the work. Considering that these semiotically charged displays are intertwined with various contemporary discourses and practices, they also lead to a better understanding of the Crónica de Castilla’s compositional tendencies and the values attached to non-verbal forms of communication.