Resumen de Commemoration of the eighth centenary of the birth of James I: Conference organized by the History and Archeology Section of the Institut d'Estudis Catalans in Barcelona

María Teresa Ferrer Mallol

• We are commemorating this year, 2008, the eighth centenary of the birth of James I 'the Conqueror', the son of King Peter I 'the Catholic' and Mary of Montpellier, who was born in Montpellier during the night of 1-2 February 1208.

  The History and Archeology Section of the Institut d'Estudis Catalans, independently or in cooperation with other bodies, has organized a series of conferences as part of these commemorations.

  The conference the Section held at the Institut d'Estudis Catalans in Barcelona from 31 March to 4 April, in partnership with the Institut Europeu de la Mediterrània, was the first in the series. It focussed on two major topics: "El poder reial i les institucions administratives i representatives" (Royal Power and Administrative and Representative Institutions) and "Les relacions internacionals" (International Relations). A total of two lectures and twenty-four papers were given.