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The article discusses the relations between the Netherlands and Spain during the Dutch War of Independence and throughout the seventeenth century, focusing on Dutch efforts to garner hard currency in the form of Spanish silver from their colonies. It discusses the Netherlands burgeoning international trade during the period, smuggling, the West India Company and its attacks on Spanish Atlantic trade vessels, and the Dutch East India Company.

This essay deals with rules and attitudes towards the Spanish succession crisis from 1580 to the extinction of the Spanish Habsburg dynasty in 1700. It argues that apart from succession laws, which were set down in the legal texts of the many different realms under Habsburg authority, attitudes and expectations created implicit rules for the succession. These attitudes and expectations have been distilled by analyzing testaments, representation of deceased relatives in the Escorial, and the behaviors toward royal children. This analysis shows that Spanish royal attitudes to the succession differed considerably from codified law, and the kings of Spain were primarily guided by the former. This essay demonstrates, therefore, that in order to understand the development of the Spanish succession crisis, the traditional focus on biology, politics, and laws should be expanded to include the dynasty's implicit rules of succession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article shows how the rise of printed news media during the opening decades of the seventeenth century fomented and fragmented authority in the polycentric Spanish Habsburg empire. Analyzing the making, dissemination, and reception of transatlantic news from Madrid to Mexico and from Lisbon to Lima, the article explores how the influx of fragments of unverifiable information from overseas undermined the possibility of complete knowledge. While the Spanish Crown exploited news media to create a sense of a unified imperial space, the dynamics of distance resulted in uncertainty and the spread of conflicting narratives that fractured central control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last years of the sixteenth century and the first half of the seventeenth, Spanish medical writers on both sides of the Atlantic engaged in an energetic series of debates on several intertwining issues, including the use of the vernacular for medical texts, the use of anatomical knowledge, the place of surgery within medicine, and the best methods for healing wounds. Beginning with a close reading of a debate over theories of wound treatment in Seville in 1584, this article explores the various issues under discussion within the Spanish empire, and seeks to reinsert Spanish medical practitioners and intellectuals within the larger European framework. The two protagonists debating in 1584, Bartolomé Hidalgo de Agüero and Dr. Estrada, represent both divergent beliefs about the value of tradition versus innovation and convergent beliefs about the value of empiricism and empirical testing for validating their beliefs. Thus, they each reflect and represent the ongoing intellectual debates of the early modern era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Founded in 1430, the Order of the Golden Fleece was perhaps the most iconic dynastic institution in the Low Countries. It bound together a selective group of high nobles, promoting shared values and loyalty, and was an inexhaustible storehouse of political imagery. The Dutch Revolt seriously disrupted this venerable company. Its officers became estranged, the numbers of knights rapidly declined, and original objectives were questioned. Nevertheless, the Order's Burgundian heritage and its enduring material memory retained a strong political potential. This article explores how both royalists and dissidents exploited the signs and codes of old to criticize − and even redress − royal policy. As such the (sometimes contradictory) use of the Order's symbolism ensured the Netherlands' status as ritualistic nerve centre. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Philip II's death in September 1598 coincided with the restoration of Habsburg authority in the southern Low Countries after decades of revolt. Local obsequies for the deceased ruler therefore reclaimed ecclesiastical infrastructure and revived urban cohesion. In contrast to previous funerals, the Brussels service did not significantly stage a transfer of power. Instead, by selectively drawing on traces of former ceremonies, particularly Charles V's 1558 funeral, the ritual overcame the recent upheavals and soothed the anxieties surrounding the cession of sovereignty to the archdukes. Simultaneously, each important urban center also staged its own ceremonial, thereby stressing local privilege. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the conflicting opinions of Spanish ministers and King Philip III in the 1610s regarding the Bohemian and Hungarian successions. Philip III's refusal to support Austrian Archduke Ferdinand, a Hapsburg; Reevaluation of Philip III's duties to his dynasty; Responsible for kindling Spanish interest in the Bohemian and Hungarian crowns; Philip III's personal views; The controversy leadindg to Spain's involvement in the Thirty Years' War.

The article discusses the radical history of the Habsburg Empire of Spain. Topics discussed include an analysis of the political culture of the Spanish Habsburg world, and the scholarly fragmentation of the Spanish Habsburg Empire into European, Atlantic and/or American, and Asiatic parts having resulted in delineations of space based on future geopolitics.

The Florentine humanists of the 15th century combined public service with their work as historians. Quevedo followed that tradition from his first works like España defendida, and the Discurso de las privanzas. In 1613 he decided to travel to Italy to serve as secretary and right hand man of the Duke of Osuna, viceroy of Naples and Sicily. These were times of an intense activity, described in Grandes anales de quince días, a work written to prove his innocence and to win over the new monarch and his ministers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cuadernos de Historia Moderna is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The name of Fray Luis de León is not cited in the extant papers of Teresa de Jesús and Luis de León himself declares 'not having known her on Earth'. But this unequivocal statement raises questions for the reader acquainted with the permeability of his works over the distinction between the literal and the secret that he found to be the inner constitution of sacred texts. This article proposes, therefore, a rereading of Luis de León's words within the framework of his philosophy, Augustinian in origin, where they acquire the condition of signs for privileged access to one of the narratives in La perfecta casada and a reassessment of his relationship with Teresa, a relationship that can be understood, in the most proper sense, as intimate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay analyzes the travel account authored by Moroccan ambassador Muhammad al- Ghassanı, who visited Spain in 1690 -91. The account shows the evolution of the early modern frontier between Christian Europe and Islamic North Africa, from a militarized boundary to the development of diplomatic relations. Both an agent and witness of that history, al-Ghassanı describes a heterogeneous space: he surveys the border, explores the foreign land of modern Spain, and reimagines the memory of al-Andalus. His important account, based on sharp observation and serious research, helps nuance the prevailing view that Arab culture had ignored Europe before the nineteenth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tiempos Modernos is the property of Tiempos Modernos and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Studia Histórica: Historia Moderna is the property of Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Treaty of Marche-en-Famenne – the Eternal Edict of 12 February 1577 – was a peace treaty signed by the new Governor-General of the Netherlands, Don Juan de Austria, and the insurgent States-General of the region, dissatisfied under Spanish Habsburg rule. This contribution analyzes how peacemaking implied more than just signing a treaty: the Eternal Edict sparked a six-month long pacification process that aimed to put it into effect and to advance the recently concluded reconciliation. Moving from Leuven to Brussels to Mechelen, the Governor-General used his Entries in these cities to present himself as a peacemaker, while he commissioned printed editions of the treaty and of its ratification by Philip II. Meanwhile he engaged his secretaries and delegates to follow up on the implementation of the treaty. His opponents, however, opposed these peace initiatives swiftly with vetoes at the negotiation table and a relentless stream of counter-propaganda. In the early modern era pacification relied upon a complex process of aligning all parties through negotiations and ceremonies, yet in this case the interplay between the mise-en-oeuvre and mise-en-scène failed within six months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among her many accomplishments, Spanish intellectual and artist Cecilia Morillas (1539–81) is remembered for her correspondence with King Philip himself and her numerous artistic talents, including the illustration of manuscript documents and maps, which she often used to display her scientific knowledge. Morillas’s artistic and scientific contributions in her lifetime may have been obscured by the fact that she utilised traditionally ‘feminine’ materials, yet her case is important to highlight as it illustrates the intersection between art and science during the early modern period and provides insight into the domestic education of young women in Spain. As a counterpoint to the conservative model of humanistic education, Morillas cultivated a home environment that enabled her children to develop considerable skills and talents in both the arts and sciences, often utilising the moralising endorsement of domestic chores, especially for her daughters, as an entry point into a variety of intellectual pursuits. This article contributes new dimensions to Morillas’s biography and the status of her family by bringing together for the first time a variety of unpublished archival documents. In addition to fleshing out the biography of this erudite woman, this article points to the ‘domestic arts’ as a legitimate realm of women’s intellectualism not only for Cecilia Morillas, but as a case study for the period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the position of the consuls in the diplomatic network of the Dutch Republic as defenders of the interests of Dutch merchants and as quasi-public officials. Although consuls did not enjoy diplomatic status, Dutch consular practice in Spain between the Peace of Munster (1648) and 1661 shows that they were more than suppliers of economic, political, and military intelligence. Consuls were a vital connecting element in Dutch diplomacy and could affect the States General's policy towards Spain by exerting influence on politicians at home and on Dutch diplomats abroad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conflicts over precedence were a disruptive but integral part of European diplomacy in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. This article will explain both the insolubility and the importance of such conflicts, by analyzing the actual arguments made by French and Spanish publicists between 1564 and 1610 who argued for the supremacy of their own king. This analysis shows that national concepts of kingship were central to their reasoning: they identified the most characteristic features of their own brand of kingship and presented these as the criteria by which to construct international hierarchy. This meant first that no consensus was possible, either on the international order itself, or on the criteria to be used; and second, that not only princes, but also diplomats, lawyers, and historians were deeply involved in these conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Annales: Histoire, Sciences Sociales is the property of Cambridge University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article discusses the marine borders off the coast of Cantabria in Spain during the Habsburg dynasty from the 16th through the 17th centuries. The author comments on the maritime trade and naval control of the region and describes the importance of economic and military domination of the seas to the Spanish monarchy, particularly the Northern Atlantic Ocean. She also considers the relationship between political territories and maritime boundaries. The role of ocean territorial controls and international relations is also examined.

In early-modern Europe, historiography was often deployed as a political means for addressing internal issues. An example of such a history text written with a local agenda in mind is the tract Ragionamento sopra la triegua de' Paesi Bassi by Giovanni Costa, which was published in 1610 in Genoa. Taking the actual case of the Twelve Years' Truce during the period of the Dutch Revolt, Costa discusses in fact the internal affairs of Genoa, a Ligurian city-state functioning as satellite state of the Spanish Habsburg Empire. This article is centered on the question of why Costa opted for such an abstract and remote topic for this politico-economic backdrop, and also addresses the matter of his intended readership [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discovery of a theatrical contract, dated 1617, containing reference to a work called Tan largo me lo fiáisas belonging to the comedia portfolio of Jerónimo Sánchez, provided objective evidence that was, at the time, crucial to the debate over whether Tan largo or El burlador de Sevilla was written first. An approach is now made to the problem of the authorship of Tan largo, attributed variously to Tirso de Molina and to Claramonte, using documentary evidence relating to the meaning of the term comedia nueva (‘new play’) in the specific context of theatrical contracts, and limits are established for any interpretation of the 1617 document. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

From 1650, the slave trade flourished in the city of Cadiz as a consequence of its increasing involvement in American colonial trade. The city received North African Muslims, subjects of the Ottoman Empire and especially black Africans, who started to be the dominant group in the 1670s. About half of them were women, who suffered triple discrimination: as women, as slaves and as black people. This article analyses their presence in the slave market of Cadiz between 1650 and 1750. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over two decades ago Helena Puigdomenech demonstrated that Niccolò Machiavelli's political treatises circulated openly in Spain for roughly thirty years in the second half of the sixteenth century. Despite the Roman Index of 1559, Machiavelli was not prohibited in Spain until Quiroga's Index of 1583. Soon after this date, Machiavelli's fortune in Spain would become inevitably linked to the Spanish anti-Machiavellian tradition, which Pedro de Ribadeneyra inaugurated with his Tratado de la Religion y Virtudes que deue tener el Principe Christiano, first published in 1595, and which lasted throughout the first half of the seventeenth century. The question of what Spaniards took out of their reading of Machiavelli continues unanswered. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate that Furió Ceriol not only appropriated Machiavelli's political vocabulary in general and adapted it to Philip II's monarchical ideology but also borrowed extensively from Il Principe in order to advise his king on the best way to deal with the rebellion in the Low Countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the history of the colonial ideology embraced by Spain from 1450 to 1700. Notable reigns of the empire discussed include the joint rule of Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand of Spain; Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, also known as King Charles I of Spain; and King Philip II of Spain. The role of the Catholic Church in the administration of the Spanish empire is considered. Other topics include Humanism, Neoplatonism, the Reformation, the 1563 Council of Trent, and Catholic Church teachings regarding the Fifth Monarchy.

Even if it is impossible to find in Suarez a systematic approach to the concept of subjective right, the Doctor Eximius held an elaborated doctrine on it. Suarez understands subjective right as a power or moral faculty of the individual that springs from his or her rational nature. His thought about this topic, specially his doctrine about the right to private property, may have exerted an extensive influence in seventeenth century England. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the academic year 1578-1579, Luis de Leon was appointed professor of moral Philosophy at the University of Salamanca. In spite of having to teach Aristotle's moral philosophy during his time in this position, we will show in this article that Luis de Leon's moral thought stems from many other sources within Ancient Philosophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The campaign in the Low Countries led by governor-general Alexander Farnese from October 1578 onwards resulted in the reconquest of more cities for the King of Spain than had been achieved by any of his predecessors or successors. It serves here as a starting point for a contextual analysis of the relationship between the ruler and the city defiant during the Dutch Revolt, not only to cast new light on the oft-neglected and complex Spanish Habsburg policies, but also to understand the broader context of questions of resistance and reconciliation during the Dutch Revolt. Most capitulation treaties accorded by Farnese show at least four features at odds with the pattern of repression of urban revolts. The governor aimed at keeping the civic patrimony intact, he granted full pardon and oblivion, he conditionally restored urban privileges and he often felt obliged not to insist on immediate reconciliation with the Catholic Church. The divergent reactions to this Habsburg policy indicate that the Dutch Revolt showed striking features of a civil war, in which not only the conditions of revolt but also of reconciliation caused discord. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the discovery of new documents regarding the work of Spanish anatomist and scientific engraver Crisóstomo Martínez. The author describes Martínez's work in the medical field that advanced the knowledge of human anatomy during the latter half of the 17th century. He examines the attempts to obtain monetary support from the Spanish government in order to travel to Paris, France, and continue his study of medicine and science. Martínez's leadership in the intellectual movement known as novator is also explored.

Copyright of Historia Mexicana is the property of El Colegio de Mexico AC and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of OHM: Obradoiro de Historia Moderna is the property of Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Servicio de Publicaciones and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article reports on a workshop on the history of Spain held in Kochel am See, Germany, from September 16-18, 2011. Topics considered in the presentations included the influence of religious considerations on Spanish foreign policy and diplomacy during the early modern era, political and sexual violence during the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, and Spanish colonialism in Africa.

Contemporary just war theory is experiencing a period of renegotiation as scholars grapple with the dimensions the war on terror places on the relationship between justice and war. A closer examination of the history of the tradition reveals that such intellectual moments have occurred before, and represent a philosophical heritage which can be probed for insight into current questions. We turn to the 1550-1 Valladolid debates between Sepúlveda and Las Casas to gain insight into some of the questions facing just war theorists today because the debates lay bare the logic for expanding jus ad bellum in the case of those perceived to be barbarians, and a compelling counter-argument. Sepúlveda proposes that a more expansive understanding of jus ad bellum is necessary in the case of barbarians, defining just cause in terms of identity and the natural law, balanced by humanitarian ends such as saving the innocent and spreading the natural law. Las Casas illustrates the dangers of Sepúlveda's position and offers an alternative framework of jus ad bellum that focuses on injury and warns against including humanitarian benefits in the just cause criterion. Las Casas' ultimate wisdom lies in arguing for the restriction of jus ad bellum in the face of those who make compelling arguments, draped in moral universals and humanitarian imperatives, for its expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the history surrounding the Flight of the Earls from Ireland in 1607, with a particular focus on the political activity of the Catholic Archbishop of Tuam Florence Conry (Fláithri Ó Maolconaire). The role that King Philip III of Spain played in aiding the Irish-Catholic nationalists, including the native Irish leaders Hugh Roe O'Donnell and the Earl of Tyrone Hugh O'Neil, is discussed. The role that Conry played in seeking military aid from Catholic Europe for the Irish nationalists' war against Protestant England is also discussed.

The article presents a thorough description and analysis of the themes of migration in the work of Alonso Cano, a 17th century Spanish painter and sculptor. Attention is paid specifically to his work "La joya más preciada de la corona," but "arte de la crianza" and is also discussed at length. Historical, political and economic context for Cano's artistic ventures is offered, providing information regarding Cano's artistic reflection of the cultural implications of human and animal migratory patterns within Spain specifically and Europe in general.

The article centers around a study of the gypsy ethnic groups of Spain during the reign of the House of Habsburg, from the late 15th century through the 17th century. Specific focus is given to legislation regarding the gypsy population in Spain, and the author analyzes several historical texts written by memoirists and arbitrators with the objective of exploring the public opinions of this ethnic group. Transcripts and copies of the original documents are presented throughout the article as they are analyzed.

The imprecision of the early modern lexis for Spanish gardens reflects their liminality and the distinctness of outdoor pursuits shaped by the climate and geography of the Iberian penninsula. Literary evocations of gardens from Lazarillo to Lope de Vega's Novelas a Marcia Leonarda underline this extra-mural nature, the public pleasures and hidden dangers that awaited beyond the city in shady, watery retreats. In his own garden, Lope cultivated flowers, including the fashionable tulip, an activity that served in his poetry as metaphor and synecdoche for the moral ambivalence of his shaping activities as a writer of fiction, in stories that were an explicit part of his own seductions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article studies the «first episode» of the alleged literary skirmish between Góngora and Quevedo. The scene takes place in Valladolid, where the court had settled two years before (1601) and where the poet from Cordoba arrives to take charge of a commission for its cathedral's Cabildo. The poetic production of that few-months-long stay is studied, as well, together with the reasons that Quevedo might have found to attack Góngora and the latter's counterattack, in what might be considered as one of the earliest accounts of the reception of Quevedo's works. The article also includes the critical, annotated edition of five texts, with their exegesis, while trying to respect, at all times, their ecdotical reality and the status quaestionis inferred from them, without drawing difficult-to-prove categorical conclusions. The quarrel between both geniuses does not seem inexistent, as some critics defended, but the scarcity of the data that we have at our disposal should not be forced to the extent of giving a distorted image of it. Without leaving hypothetical ground, except when facts allow us to, we analyze what we have got (the texts themselves) and advance probable possibilities of what probably happened (a raw confrontation sustained over time). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes a history convention held on October 14-15, 2010 in Alcala de Henares, Spain, on the topic of service required of Spanish subjects to the Habsburg Monarchy during the period in which Spain was under its control. Individual subjects explored include the Habsburgs' concept of obedience, military service as proof of fidelity to the King, and the form in which recompense was provided.

This article examines the foreign policy of Spain during the reign of Charles II in the latter half of the 17th century. The author discusses Spain's foreign economic, political, and military relationship with the Holy Roman Empire and analyzes the effects of the Thirty Years' War on these relations. He also studies the financial strain undertaken by the Spanish monarchy during this time period as a result of subsidizing the Holy Roman Empire to ensure continual military collaboration. The subsequent conflict over rightful succession to the Spanish throne is also considered.

Copyright of OHM: Obradoiro de Historia Moderna is the property of Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Servicio de Publicaciones and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of OHM: Obradoiro de Historia Moderna is the property of Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Servicio de Publicaciones and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Departing from the data from the “Relación cronológica y ortográfica de libros publicados en Sevilla entre 1582 y 1621" –Domínguez Búrdalo, Rilce 25 (2009): 273-318–, this article analizes patronage and literary networks in Seville during Philip III's reign. In particular, we use the data to analyze the Sevillian echos of one of the biggest polemics from the seventeenth century: the controversy that arose around 1613 over the future dogma of the Inmaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. Our study analyzes the essential aspects of the conflict, while relating theological disputes with another famous Golden Age controversy, that of the Leaden Books from the Sacromonte, and with the power struggle between the bishopric of Seville in the time of Archbishop Vaca de Castro and Philip III and the Duke of Lerma's court in Madrid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the history of agriculture in the region of La Rioja, Spain from the second half of the 16th century to the 19th century. In particular, it shows how intra-regional differences in crops produced and the degree of agricultural specialization evolved in response to the demand for agricultural products, especially in light of the region's ties to North Atlantic trade routes. The article explains that agriculture in the western part of La Rioja was shaped largely by urban and international demand for wool and wine, while the capacity of traditional agriculture in the East was stretched by population pressures. It notes that areas with greater agricultural diversification fared better economically.

The article discusses developments and change in political thought and expression in the Spanish world during the second half of the 16th Century and the beginning of the 17th Century. It is the author's belief that political thinkers found new forms of expression, such as through literature and mystic and devotional texts, after a crisis in intellectual reasoning that was based at the University of Salamanca. The Spanish Inquisition and expanding royal control are indicated as primary causes of this crisis. The author references the writings of Mexican Jesuit Juan Antonio de Oviedo, Spanish priest Luís de León, and Spanish playwright Pedro Calderón de la Barca.

Modern politics is at times a balancing act between universal claims about the human (equal rights, dignity, and respect) and political actions which may seem to violate these claims (torture, just wars, repudiation of certain cultural practices, tacit discrimination). An exploration of some of the philosophical roots of the modern understanding of the person, when it was the subject of debate, provides a perspective at the origin of Modernity from which to evaluate the tenuous relationship between moral universalism and alterity at the heart of this tension. The debates at Valladolid in 1550-51 between Las Casas and Sepúlveda, arguing their conceptions of the human, can shed light on how and why arguments for inequality creep back into the modern discourse on alterity. The lessons from Valladolid, therefore, might help to limit or clarify recourse to such arguments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the history of noble art patronage in Spain during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Topics discussed include the cultural and aesthetic trends of the collectors of the time period, the connections between nobility and the intellectual activity of the country, and the increased value placed on painters and their artwork. Cultural traits of the paintings most valued are described, as well as the galleries and other areas of artistic display and the role of the Court in reviving artistic appreciation in Spanish culture. The examples of the collections and patronage of King Philip II are also described.

The article examines the power of the Dominican order of predicants in the Spanish Hapsburg court during the 17th century. Noting that attainment of a position in the court was considered the apex of an ecclesiastical career, it explains that courtly priests wielded significant power both religious and political. In this light, the article focuses on the relationships between royal confessors and royal favorites as well as how the actions of these confessors were viewed by their peers. The article mentions that 18 Dominican priests held sway over the consciences of Spanish kings Felipe III, Felipe IV, and Carlos II from 1592 to 1700, including friars Antonio de Cáceres, Antonio Sotomayor, and Pedro Álvarez de Montenegro.

The article discusses the relationship between lineage, social status, and the clergy in early modern Spain. It explains that the institution of the clergy, especially chaplaincy, was of key importance to families seeking to attain or maintain social status. For example, according to the article, families would found chaplaincies headed by their own members, whose inheritances would revert back to their families due to their required celibacy and, therefore, lack of progeny. The article mentions additional benefits accruing to these families, including inheritances for younger offspring, maintenance of patronage relationships with other branches of the family, and spiritual gains such as mass for the souls of deceased family members.