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St Leocadia, a fourth-century Toledan Christian virgin and patron saint of the city, miraculously emerged from a sepulchre in the presence of Ildephonsus, Archbishop of Toledo, and the Visigothic King Recesvintus, in the 7th century. After this wondrous event, in which a fragment of her veil was cut as proof of her public visitation, her body was removed from Toledo to be preserved from the Muslim conquest, taken to Flanders and eventually repatriated to her home town at the request of Philip II as the Lutheran threat to the Spanish northern territories escalated. A wave of literature and images concerning her figure was produced in the wake of three events: the return of her relics to Toledo in 1587, those of Ildephonsus in 1596 and the inauguration of the chapel of Our Lady of the Tabernacle, also in Toledo, in 1616. The following essays consider why and how this virgin saint became instrumental in cementing the alliance of Church and Monarchy as well as buttressing the Archbishop of Toledo's status as Primate of Spain in the early seventeenth century. Focusing on the historical, visual and literary portraits of Leocadia, they examine the manner in which Early Modern Spanish authors—Miguel Hernández, Lope de Vega, José de Valdivielso and Pedro Calderón de la Barca—and artists—Francisco Merino, Blas de Prado, Juan Pantoja de la Cruz, Antonio de Lanchares and Pedro Orrente—imagined and recreated the narrative of her sanctity paying particular attention to the function of public witness as effected by their works as well as by their readers and viewers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work we analyze the complex personality of the archbishop of Toledo Alfonso Carrillo of Acuña, one of the most inluential clergymen in the political history of the kingdom of Castille throughout the 15th century, although he has not been studied in depth yet, as he deserves. This research is based both on bibliography and documentation, including some unpublished sources. We present a concise and updated analysis about different aspects of Alfonso Carrillo: the beginning of his ecclesiastical career in Italy and Basilea; the progress, culmination and decline of his political inluence, as a result of his political thought, contrary to an authoritarian monarchy; his institutional role; the episcopal government in Sigüenza and Toledo, his reformer work and last pastoral activities; and, inally, his cultural and intellectual inquisitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the political and ecclesial career of 16th century Spanish Archbishop Gaspar de Quiroga and his interaction with the members of the Cabildo (Cathedral Chapter) of the Cathedral of Toledo (Spain). The author recounts the rise of Gaspar de Quiroga to the role of Archbishop of Toledo and discusses the selection and appointment of the members of the Cabildo during the period 1577-1594. He also considers various issues addressed by Gaspar de Quiroga and the Cathedral Chapter in Toledo including the application of ecclesial reforms, aspects of the Inquisitional courts and the appointment of local political and religious authorities. A list is also included with the members of the Cathedral Chapter which includes Miguel Ortega, Pablo Rubio and Alonson Guio.