Fernando el Católico - History Lab

Íñigo López de Mendoza, 2nd Count of Tendilla and 1st Marquis of Mondejar

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:32:18 +0000

Íñigo López de Mendoza stood out as a great ally of King Ferdinand the Catholic, being captain general of the Kingdom of Granada and participating directly in the War of Granada at the end of the 15th century. After the victory, he was appointed the first governor of Granada, a post he held until the end of his life, combining the coexistence of victors and vanquished with the affairs of running the city, such as administrative and economic matters.
The original work was kept in the former collection of the Duke of Osuna, although its track has been lost, but it appears constantly in the documentation. The copy made by Francisco Díaz Carreño between 1877 and 1878, which is in the collections of the Museo del Prado, is better known today.
Both the portrait itself and the meticulousness with which it complements the setting are outstanding pictorially. It shows the main figure in front of a window, with a grenade emphasising the importance of the conflict in Granada and with significant elements of military command such as the staff in his hand and the helmet resting on the window. Stylistically, Juan Bautista de Espinosa shows the strong portrait painting tradition of the late 16th century, marking out isolated figures and very precise lines in the drawing.

The post Íñigo López de Mendoza, 2nd Count of Tendilla and 1st Marquis of Mondejar first appeared on History Lab.

The Catholic Monarchs before Granada

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:30:03 +0000

The surrender of the city of Granada and the fortress-palace of the Alhambra to the Catholic Monarchs by the Nasrid Sultan Boabdil marked the end of the War of Granada, a conflict that lasted ten years (1482-1492) and whose aim was to bring the last Muslim territories in the southeast of the peninsula under Christian rule, with the intention of incorporating them into the Crown of Castile and the dominion of the Catholic Monarchs. The Capitulations of Granada were initially very advantageous for Boabdil and his subjects, as they stipulated pardon for all residents, respect for their property, laws, languages and even religion. But in time, due to various pressures and interests, the imposition of taxes on the population and the attempt to convert the Muslims of those places to Christianity began. This led to various political, cultural and social conflicts that would last for over a century, ending with the expulsion of the Moors in 1609

The post The Catholic Monarchs before Granada first appeared on History Lab.

Salt tax on Ibiza (1604-1614)

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:07 +0000

A key fact in the development of the commercialisation of salt produced on Ibiza is that in 1499 Ferdinand the Catholic granted a privilege, upon payment of two thousand ducats, whereby the salt mines were exempt from paying taxes because they were an indispensable part of the livelihood of the inhabitants. This was because part of the wealth obtained had to be used to buy grain and other goods that were very difficult to obtain on the island due to its climatic and geographical characteristics, which resulted in land with a low degree of productivity. But this climate had a positive side: a bad year for cereal harvests due to the lack of rain was, on the other hand, an ideal year for salt harvesting.
Throughout the 17th century, the price of salt in Ibiza was constantly changing due to various political decisions taken by the Monarchy during those years. On many occasions, the price did nothing but rise and become continually more expensive, which often led to a drastic drop in sales due to the monarchy’s desire to raise capital through Ibizan salt, clashing completely with the privileged situation signed in 1499 and the current panorama of the international salt trade, in which goods from other places were entering the markets and causing a substantial reduction in prices. In the period analysed at the beginning of the 17th century, we can clearly see a decrease from 4256 pounds in 1604 to 3166 pounds in 1614, a drop of 25.61% in barely ten years.

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