Stele of Estellina, widow of Bonastruc Joseph

Provenance	Girona
Chronology	Around the mid-15th century
Material	Limestone
Record	MHJ075
Section	Cemetery

Estellina is the only one of the recorded women who appears mentioned alone in the documentation. We have no information about her own family, but she married an important Jewish man from Girona, Bonastruc Joseph. Her husband played an important role in the organisation of the aljama at the beginning of the 15th century, by designation of the queen, and was also an important moneylender. In 1412, Estellina's husband detained a young convert girl named Elionor against her will, although we do not know why. In the payment of the tax known as the talla in 1426, Bonastruc Joseph contributed 30 sous and 6 diners (5.5% of the total collected). This was a considerable amount, and only five people paid more than this family. After Bonastruc Joseph's death, the executor of his will and administrator of his fortune was Benvenist Samuel, who was probably his son-in-law and appears in Girona from 1434 to 1462, acting as a leading figure within the community. Of the thirty contributors from the aljama of Girona to the 100 sous talla tax of 1450, the largest contributor was Benvenist Samuel (with 78 diners, 6.5% of the total), while the highest-paying woman (fourth overall) was his mother-in-law, Estellina, widow of Bonastruc Joseph (with 66 diners, 5.5% of the total tax). Shortly afterwards, in 1458, the inventory of the cutler Pere Riera, who lived on Ballesteries Street, reveals that Na Estellina, a Jewish woman, owned a silver belt with a buckle featuring gilded heads, with fourteen gilded silver plaques, a silver bracelet and two spoons, also made of silver. We cannot be certain that this was the same person, but it is possible.

Translation:
Here is the gravestone of the honorable
Na Estellina, wife
to the venerable and illustrious
En Bonastruc Joseph. May they have
their part in the Garden of Eden. Amen.

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