In medieval Iberian law and history, territory or property belonging to an abbey or religious institution; lands owned and governed by a monastery.
From Spanish 'abadengo,' derived from 'abad' (abbot, from Latin 'abbatis') plus the possessive suffix '-engo.' The term reflects the significant land holdings and power that monasteries had in medieval Spain and Portugal.
In medieval Spain and Portugal, an 'abadengo' was kind of like a religious corporation's business empire—monasteries controlled vast territories, farmed them, and had real political power, making abbots almost as important as kings in their regions.
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