1494:" The 17th of September, after traveling nine leagues [a league equals 2-3 miles], from Narbonne we arrived at Perpignan, a famous town. At the foot of the Pyrenees Mountains, there exists a very pretty plain, seven leagues long and seven wide. The Pyrenees Mountains surround it at the north, south, and west; to the east is the sea. This plain is called the county of Roussillon. It has around a hundred cities, castles, and fortresses, and its principal city is Perpignan. The land is famous for all sorts of produce, principally the delicious Muscat wine. This city resembles, in my opinion, Ulm, with its merchants and its fine woolen cloth. The most outstanding church is the one dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, recently built, but not totally finished. I never saw such high arches."
"In September, which was when we were there, one could find in plenty pomegranates, oranges, grapes, figs, almonds, loquats, peaches and other innumerable fruits. Truly, a meticulous observer would believe it to be a paradise."
"This county, thirty years ago, belonged to the jurisdiction of the King of France, who received it as a pledge from the King of Aragon. But in the year of the conquest of Granada, the King of Spain reclaimed it, it was returned with good will by the King of France, and presently it is under the Spanish scepter."
No comments:
Post a Comment