In the small town of Cobena (Comunidad de Madrid), home to about 7,700 residents, an event occurred that shook the local community. On a weekday, the priest of the San Cipriano parish received an unexpected call from a man with a noticeable German accent. At first, the priest struggled to understand what the caller was talking about—the man insisted on the words “book of the dead,” which initially didn’t clarify the situation.
It was later discovered that a collector of old books named Anthony, who did not speak Spanish, had arrived in the town center. He began asking passersby about the local priest in order to hand over an unusual find. Only one resident, who spoke English, was able to help with communication. Thanks to her, contact was established between Anthony and the priest.
When the meeting took place, the German was holding an old volume, which was immediately recognized as a lost parish archive. According to the priest, even his predecessor had mentioned that, during the Civil War and in the years that followed, the parish lost many valuable documents, and some of them had been stolen about two decades ago. The book had been considered irretrievably lost.
The manuscript, about 300 pages long, contains detailed information about life in Cobena from 1681 to 1687. It records the names of the deceased, sums paid for burials, and residents’ wills. At that time, only the clergy could keep proper records, so it is through these documents that it’s possible to learn which families owned property and how inheritances were distributed.
The story of how the book appeared in Spain is of particular interest. Anthony acquired it at a Moldovan manuscript market, where he happened to notice the name of the city. Realizing its historical significance, he decided to personally return the document to its homeland. According to the abbot, the collector’s act was exceptionally generous: not only did he travel a great distance, but he also donated the book to the parish free of charge, believing it should be kept exactly here.
The archive has now been digitized so that researchers and anyone interested can study its contents. Despite the ancient language, the text is well preserved, allowing it to be examined without major difficulties. The original is kept in the archive of the diocese of Alcalá de Henares, where anyone can explore the history of 17th-century Cobeña.
