MINISTERIODE CULTURA Y DEPORTE

GOBIERNODE ESPAÑA

(Council of Portugal); and as many others whose remit affected these territories: the Consejo de Estado (Council of State), the Con-sejo de Guerra (Council of War), the Consejo de Hacienda (Finance Council), The Consejo de Inquisición (Council of the Inquisition), the Consejo de Órdenes (Council of Military Orders), and the Consejo de Cruzada (Council of the Crusade). These thirteen councils or organ-isms controlled all matters relating to the kingdoms or subject areas mentioned. The death of Carlos II, the last Habsburg king, led to the War of Succession that inaugurated the Bourbon dynasty. The Bour-bons brought to Spain, French administrative experience, which was more rational, and more in tune with the new thinking of the Enlight-enment and more in line with the new territorial redistribution im-posed by the Peace of Utrecht in 1713, which deprived Spain of her leading position as well as her European possessions. Without elimi-nating the old councils, the Bourbons introduced profound adminis-trative reforms that involved the creation of five Secretarias de De-spacho in order to channel and resolve all governmental matters: the Secretaria de Estado (Secretariat of State), the Secretaria de Guerra (Secretariat of War), the Secretaria de Gracia yJusticia (Secretariat of Grace and Justice), the Secretaria de Hacienda (Secretariat of Fi-nance), and the Secretaria de Marina e Indias (Secretariat of the Navy and the Indies). The responsibilities of these five Bourbon secretariates corresponded to the remit of the Habsburg councils: Estado (foreign affairs), Gracia yJusticia (grace and favour, and royal appointments), Guerra (military matters), Marina e Indias (maritime and Spanish Indies affairs), and Hacienda (treasury matters). It should also be underlined that the archive possesses collections that did not originate in any administrative organism: Patronato Real (Royal Patronage) and Mapas, Pianos y Dibujos (Maps, Plans and Drawings) which complete the rich range of archi-val holdings in the said Archive.

THE ARCHIVE GENERAL OF SIMANCAS The Archivo General de Simancas, which was begun by Charles V and finished by his son, Philip II, holds exceptionally rich documentary sources for the study of Spanish history from the end of the fifteenth century to the nineteenth century. As such, it conserves all the docu-mentation produced by the organs of Spanish monarchical govern-ment from the time of Isabella and Ferdinand until the beginning of the Liberal Regime. The earliest documented date for the archive is an order of the 16 September 1540 by Charles V from Brussels, on the advice of his secretary Francisco de los Cobos, to keep its first archival holding in one of the castle's towers. Furthermore, the archive's defensive capa-bilities and proximity to the court in Valladolid represented additional motives for the choice of the site. Not surprisingly, this date is con-sidered to mark the beginning of the Archivo General de Simancas under the patronage of Charles V. Nevertheless, the emperor's action only resulted in the incipient archive's acquisition of a small part of the Castllian crown's scattered documents. On the other hand, the real creator of the Archivo General de Simancas was Philip II who, fully conscious of the importance and significance of his archival project, clearly understood that the effi-cient administration of an Empire rested on controlling the written word, which represented the only means of receiving information and giving orders or indeed of issuing any documentation. It was Philip II who set about regulating the activities and functions of the new ar-chive (personnel, collection, organisation and preservation of the documents etc.). On 24 August 1588 he signed Into law a set of instructions, subdivided into thirty sections, that set down the princi-pal functions of archival science, and which were to be the first set of archival regulations in the world in the modern age. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the Ar-chivo General de Simancas was an administrative archive for the use of the court and private Individuals who sought copies of the docu-ments it preserved. This phase as a living archive finished in 1844 with the arrival of the new Liberal Regime which opened up the ar-chive to historical research. At this point Simancas ceased to be an administrative archive and became an historical archive. The archival holdings that are kept in Simancas reflect the administrative organisation of the early modern period, and consti-tute complete series, thereby offering the present-day historian the opportunity to recreate an historical period in its entirety.

THE HISTORY OF THE BUILD The Archivo General de Simancas today is located In the well known castle of Simancas which dates to the last third of the fifteenth century. The castle was originally constructed in the town of Simancas, near to Valladolid, by the powerful aristocratic family, the Enriquez, Almirantes de Castillo, during a period of internecine noble struggles. Subsequently, as a result of Isabella and Ferdi-nand's policy of reducing the power of the nobility and the destruc-tion of their strongholds, the Almirante agreed to hand over the castle to the Castilian monarchs. Charles V decided to utilise one of the castle's towers for the keeping and custody of those documents relating to his assets and Inheritance. Subsequently, In 1572 Philip II commissioned Juan de Herrera to design a building to be used as a royal archive. In 1578 the architect presented his plans for the first purpose-built early modern archive building to the king. Even so it still retained a number of characteristics of the previous castle such as the walled enclosure, the towers and the chapel. It cannot be stressed enough that the architectural features of the design were subordinated to the archival aspects and not vice versa. ARCHIVAL HOLDINGS The organisation of the archival holdings is directly related to the history of the Archivo General de Simancas. If the Archive was created in the fifteenth century in order to hold the documentation created by the principal governmental institutions of the Spanish monarchy, it is logical that its holdings should reflect the monarchy's administrative structure in the extensive period from the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella until the fall of the Old Regime during the first third of the nineteenth century. During this period two principal ar-chival holdings can be distinguished: that belonging to the Habsburg dynasty (15th-17th centuries) and that of the Bourbons (18th century). The first block reflects the embryonic administrative struc-ture began by the Catholic Monarchs and developed more fully by Charles V and Philip II. This structure was made up of councils, so named as their principal function was to advise the king, who exclu-sively had the last word in all matters. The Spanish monarchy pos-sessed as many councils as kingdoms subject to their will: The Con-sejo y Cámara de Castilla (Council and Cámara of Castile), the Con-sejo de Aragón (Council of Aragon), the Consejo de Indias (Council of the Indies), the Consejo de Italia (Council of Italy), the Consejo de Flandes (Council of Flanders ), and the Consejo de Portugal

Research room [ca. 1570] Chest reserved for the keeping of documents of Royal Patronage

6 September 1540. Order of Charles V ordering the dispatch of a number of documents to Simancas. Which is considered to be the archive’s founding document

In order to harmonise the work of the archive and that of the researchers with its dissemination to the wider public the Archive offers the following visiting options: • Unaccompanied tours: Weekdays 10:00 -14:00 / 17:00 – 19:00 Saturdays, Sundays, and Public Holidays 11:00 – 14:00 /17:00 –

19:00 • Guided Tours: Weekdays: 12:00 h. (minimum 5 people). • Group Guided Tours. (By prior appointment: contact the Archive) • Guided tours on open day, 9th June, International Archive Day

THE GENERAL ARCHIVE

OF SIMANCAS

C/ Miravete, 8 47130 Simancas (Valladolid, Spain)

Tel.: 0034-983-590003 Email: ags@mecd.es

www.mecd.gob.es http://pares.mcu.es

© All reproduction is forbidden without the authorisation of the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sport .

BUS

AUVASA

Línea 5 Línea Valladolid-Tordesillas-Zamora

“Spanish Historical Heritage is the main witness to the historical contribution made by Spaniards to universal civilisation and its contemporary creative capacity. The protection and enrichment of the property forming it are funda-mental obligations that are binding for all public authorities, in compliance with the mandate addressed to them by article 46 of the Spanish Constitu-tion.”

Preamble of the Law 16/1985, dated 25 June, on the Spanish Historical Heri-tage (Official State Bulletin of 29 June 1985)

Vaulted ceiling of the chapel. 15th century.

23 June 1503 Endorsement by Henry VII of the marriage agreement between the Infante Cath-erine of Aragon and Henry, Prince of Wales

MINISTERIODE CULTURA Y DEPORTE

GOBIERNODE ESPAÑA

Unaccompanied tours:

Weekdays 10.00 - 14:00 / 17:00 - 21:00

Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays 11:00 - 14:00 / 17:00 - 21:00

Group Guided Tours (By prior appointment: contact the Archive)

Guided tours on open day, 9th June, International Archive Day

(Council of Portugal); and as many others whose remit affected these territories: the Consejo de Estado (Council of State), the Con-sejo de Guerra (Council of War), the Consejo de Hacienda (Finance Council), The Consejo de Inquisición (Council of the Inquisition), the Consejo de Órdenes (Council of Military Orders), and the Consejo de Cruzada (Council of the Crusade). These thirteen councils or organ-isms controlled all matters relating to the kingdoms or subject areas mentioned. The death of Carlos II, the last Habsburg king, led to the War of Succession that inaugurated the Bourbon dynasty. The Bour-bons brought to Spain, French administrative experience, which was more rational, and more in tune with the new thinking of the Enlight-enment and more in line with the new territorial redistribution im-posed by the Peace of Utrecht in 1713, which deprived Spain of her leading position as well as her European possessions. Without elimi-nating the old councils, the Bourbons introduced profound adminis-trative reforms that involved the creation of five Secretarias de De-spacho in order to channel and resolve all governmental matters: the Secretaria de Estado (Secretariat of State), the Secretaria de Guerra (Secretariat of War), the Secretaria de Gracia yJusticia (Secretariat of Grace and Justice), the Secretaria de Hacienda (Secretariat of Fi-nance), and the Secretaria de Marina e Indias (Secretariat of the Navy and the Indies). The responsibilities of these five Bourbon secretariates corresponded to the remit of the Habsburg councils: Estado (foreign affairs), Gracia yJusticia (grace and favour, and royal appointments), Guerra (military matters), Marina e Indias (maritime and Spanish Indies affairs), and Hacienda (treasury matters). It should also be underlined that the archive possesses collections that did not originate in any administrative organism: Patronato Real (Royal Patronage) and Mapas, Pianos y Dibujos (Maps, Plans and Drawings) which complete the rich range of archi-val holdings in the said Archive.

THE ARCHIVE GENERAL OF SIMANCAS The Archivo General de Simancas, which was begun by Charles V and finished by his son, Philip II, holds exceptionally rich documentary sources for the study of Spanish history from the end of the fifteenth century to the nineteenth century. As such, it conserves all the docu-mentation produced by the organs of Spanish monarchical govern-ment from the time of Isabella and Ferdinand until the beginning of the Liberal Regime. The earliest documented date for the archive is an order of the 16 September 1540 by Charles V from Brussels, on the advice of his secretary Francisco de los Cobos, to keep its first archival holding in one of the castle's towers. Furthermore, the archive's defensive capa-bilities and proximity to the court in Valladolid represented additional motives for the choice of the site. Not surprisingly, this date is con-sidered to mark the beginning of the Archivo General de Simancas under the patronage of Charles V. Nevertheless, the emperor's action only resulted in the incipient archive's acquisition of a small part of the Castllian crown's scattered documents. On the other hand, the real creator of the Archivo General de Simancas was Philip II who, fully conscious of the importance and significance of his archival project, clearly understood that the effi-cient administration of an Empire rested on controlling the written word, which represented the only means of receiving information and giving orders or indeed of issuing any documentation. It was Philip II who set about regulating the activities and functions of the new ar-chive (personnel, collection, organisation and preservation of the documents etc.). On 24 August 1588 he signed Into law a set of instructions, subdivided into thirty sections, that set down the princi-pal functions of archival science, and which were to be the first set of archival regulations in the world in the modern age. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the Ar-chivo General de Simancas was an administrative archive for the use of the court and private Individuals who sought copies of the docu-ments it preserved. This phase as a living archive finished in 1844 with the arrival of the new Liberal Regime which opened up the ar-chive to historical research. At this point Simancas ceased to be an administrative archive and became an historical archive. The archival holdings that are kept in Simancas reflect the administrative organisation of the early modern period, and consti-tute complete series, thereby offering the present-day historian the opportunity to recreate an historical period in its entirety.

THE HISTORY OF THE BUILD The Archivo General de Simancas today is located In the well known castle of Simancas which dates to the last third of the fifteenth century. The castle was originally constructed in the town of Simancas, near to Valladolid, by the powerful aristocratic family, the Enriquez, Almirantes de Castillo, during a period of internecine noble struggles. Subsequently, as a result of Isabella and Ferdi-nand's policy of reducing the power of the nobility and the destruc-tion of their strongholds, the Almirante agreed to hand over the castle to the Castilian monarchs. Charles V decided to utilise one of the castle's towers for the keeping and custody of those documents relating to his assets and Inheritance. Subsequently, In 1572 Philip II commissioned Juan de Herrera to design a building to be used as a royal archive. In 1578 the architect presented his plans for the first purpose-built early modern archive building to the king. Even so it still retained a number of characteristics of the previous castle such as the walled enclosure, the towers and the chapel. It cannot be stressed enough that the architectural features of the design were subordinated to the archival aspects and not vice versa. ARCHIVAL HOLDINGS The organisation of the archival holdings is directly related to the history of the Archivo General de Simancas. If the Archive was created in the fifteenth century in order to hold the documentation created by the principal governmental institutions of the Spanish monarchy, it is logical that its holdings should reflect the monarchy's administrative structure in the extensive period from the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella until the fall of the Old Regime during the first third of the nineteenth century. During this period two principal ar-chival holdings can be distinguished: that belonging to the Habsburg dynasty (15th-17th centuries) and that of the Bourbons (18th century). The first block reflects the embryonic administrative struc-ture began by the Catholic Monarchs and developed more fully by Charles V and Philip II. This structure was made up of councils, so named as their principal function was to advise the king, who exclu-sively had the last word in all matters. The Spanish monarchy pos-sessed as many councils as kingdoms subject to their will: The Con-sejo y Cámara de Castilla (Council and Cámara of Castile), the Con-sejo de Aragón (Council of Aragon), the Consejo de Indias (Council of the Indies), the Consejo de Italia (Council of Italy), the Consejo de Flandes (Council of Flanders ), and the Consejo de Portugal

Research room [ca. 1570] Chest reserved for the keeping of documents of Royal Patronage

6 September 1540. Order of Charles V ordering the dispatch of a number of documents to Simancas. Which is considered to be the archive’s founding document