16th-Century Iberian Trade and Finance
C. Foreign and Domestic Trade
1. Local and Regional Trade (“Dry Ports”)
Customs documentation (dry ports) reveals details about inland trade. Tax proceeds indicate that trade between Castile and Aragon thrived in the latter half of the 16th century.
The busiest customs posts between Navarre and Castile were in Vitoria, Logroño, Alfaro, and Cervera. Key routes between Aragon and Castile included Molina de Aragón (to Madrid and Toledo) and Agreda, Candelas, and Deza (to Medina del Campo). Between
Read MoreGeographical Features and Demographics of Spain
Structurally, it corresponds to the great depression of the northern and southern sub-plateau, and the depressions of the Ebro and Guadalquivir.
The topography is characterized by a gently rolling landscape, more representative in the provinces of Cordoba and Seville. The soft and erodible nature of the materials causes rapid and intense erosion, resulting in a dense network of gullies and ravines known as badlands.
VOCABULARY
Altitude: Vertical distance from a point to sea level, measured in Spain
Read MoreSocial Structures and Conflicts in Medieval Castile and Aragon
Late Medieval Iberian Crisis (c. 1340-15th Century)
Around 1340, a crisis emerged due to demographic decline from rivalry with Genoa, high taxes, and currency devaluation. Several banks failed by the late 14th century. The 15th century saw internal rivalries (Biga and Seek) and civil war exacerbate the crisis. Valencia surpassed Barcelona as the financial and commercial capital of the Aragonese crown.
Social Groups and Conflicts
Society in Castile and Aragon: The Nobility
The Christian kingdoms of the
Social Stratification in 16th-17th Century Spain
Society
Privileged Classes
1. The Nobility
Legal status and geographic location. Internal levels.
The nobility, comprising 15-20% of the population (according to Ruiz Ibáñez and Vincent), was spread throughout the peninsula. The gentry concentrated in the Northern Peninsula, while the nobility held lands in Castile and Andalusia.
At the apex was the Royal Family, followed by the titled nobility and those without dominion. A manor was the area where a noble held legal rights (judicial, political, economic,
Read MoreAgricultural Systems and Practices: Intensive, Extensive, and More
Agricultural Systems
Extensive Exploitation: Farming large areas with low yields per unit, requiring less investment and sometimes using traditional techniques like fallow. Common in Spain for cereal cultivation.
Intensive Agriculture: Obtaining high yields of quality products in a small space using techniques like seed selection, fertilizers, irrigation, and crop rotation. Expensive but high-yielding, used in areas with limited arable land and large populations.
Polyculture: Cultivating several different
Read MoreSocial Transformation and Labor Movements in 19th and 20th Century Spain
Social Transformations, Population Growth, and the Rise of the Labor Movement in Spain
Spanish society, for centuries conditioned by a rigid social structure, underwent significant modifications. In the nineteenth century, particularly after 1833 (the death of Fernando VII), the foundations for a new society were laid, where, in theory, all individuals were equal before the law. Society transitioned from a system of closed estates, with distinct rights and obligations, to a class-based structure,
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