Ayuntamiento de Alcala de Henares (Division Historica)
Item
Country
ES
Name of institution (English)
Municipal Archive of Alcala de Henares
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
spa
Contact information: postal address
Plaza San Julian 1, 28801 Alcala de Henares
Contact information: phone number
0034 918770884
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
archivomunicipal@ayto-alcaladehenares.es
Reference number
ES.28005. AM/1
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Municipal Archive of Alcala de Henares (Historical Section)
Title (official language of the state)
Ayuntamiento de Alcala de Henares (Division Historica)
Language of title
spa
Creator / accumulator
City council of Alcala de Henares
Date(s)
1200/1988
Language(s)
spa
Extent
11,971 boxes; 1,570 volumes
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Good
Scope and content
The “Division Historica” of the Municipal Archive of Alcala de Henares gathered historical documents produced and received by the city council of Alcala de Henares from the 13th through the 20th centuries. The documentation contains information on the exercise of the functions of the city council over the centuries. The fonds is classified in the following sections:
1.1. The “Gobierno” (Government) division (1200-1988) includes provisions regarding the internal administration of the city council, city council minutes, agreements of meetings, drafts, etc. It also contains privileges, ordinances, pragmatics, royal instructions, provisions, orders and letters, lawsuits, executive decrees, and requirements related to the city council government. Both the official correspondence of the city council and that of the Secretary have been gathered together since it has not been possible to create a Secretary section. For this reason, certificates, instances, and requests are contained in the section.
1.2. The “Administracion municipal” (Municipal Administration) section (1436-1988) is composed of 16 subdivisions that contain documentation regarding all the functions and activities of the city council, such as the administration of the city council supplies (“abastos”) and assets (“propios”), boundaries of the city, personnel and positions, and health and social assistance. The aforementioned subdivisions where medieval documents are preserved are the following: “Apeos, deslindes y amojonamientos” (1475-1891); “Personal y cargos” (1455-1943); “Propios y arbitrios” (1440-1936); "Sanidad y asistencia social” (1391-1952).
1.3. The “Hacienda” (Finance) section (1435-1977) is composed of three subdivisions that contain documents regarding municipal finances and taxes. The type of documentation is varied: letters of payment, account books, budgets of expenses, and municipal income, etc. As for municipal taxes, there are documents on deeds, accounts, receipts, tax-collection lists, lawsuits on sales tax (“alcabalas”), “sisas”, “portazgo”, tithes, and other ordinary and extraordinary taxes. The aforementioned subdivisions where medieval documents are preserved are the following: “Hacienda municipal” (1435-1957) and "Impuestos” (1460-1943).
1.4. The "Elecciones" (Elections) section (1684-1975).
Concerning Jews, there are royal letters containing information on the participation of Jews, such as Zag de la Maleha and Abrahem Abenxuxen, in the farming of royal taxes (folder 6). The accounts of the economic manager on the city council assets ("bienes propios") (1462-64) record the farming of municipal taxes by some Jews, such as Abraem Arevalo, who farmed the "peso" tax, or Jaco Frances, who farmed the fish market tax. There are also references to the payment made by the city council to Jews who worked at the service of the city, such as Aser, a blacksmith, or Abrahem el Levi, surgeon (leg. 422/1). City council orders addressed to Jews are preserved, such as the order that compels Mose Quito, surgeon and tax farmer, to pay the alms granted by the Monarchs to the San Francisco de Alcala Monastery (1485) (leg. 1097/1). Records on 15th century properties of Jews in the city are also preserved.
1.1. The “Gobierno” (Government) division (1200-1988) includes provisions regarding the internal administration of the city council, city council minutes, agreements of meetings, drafts, etc. It also contains privileges, ordinances, pragmatics, royal instructions, provisions, orders and letters, lawsuits, executive decrees, and requirements related to the city council government. Both the official correspondence of the city council and that of the Secretary have been gathered together since it has not been possible to create a Secretary section. For this reason, certificates, instances, and requests are contained in the section.
1.2. The “Administracion municipal” (Municipal Administration) section (1436-1988) is composed of 16 subdivisions that contain documentation regarding all the functions and activities of the city council, such as the administration of the city council supplies (“abastos”) and assets (“propios”), boundaries of the city, personnel and positions, and health and social assistance. The aforementioned subdivisions where medieval documents are preserved are the following: “Apeos, deslindes y amojonamientos” (1475-1891); “Personal y cargos” (1455-1943); “Propios y arbitrios” (1440-1936); "Sanidad y asistencia social” (1391-1952).
1.3. The “Hacienda” (Finance) section (1435-1977) is composed of three subdivisions that contain documents regarding municipal finances and taxes. The type of documentation is varied: letters of payment, account books, budgets of expenses, and municipal income, etc. As for municipal taxes, there are documents on deeds, accounts, receipts, tax-collection lists, lawsuits on sales tax (“alcabalas”), “sisas”, “portazgo”, tithes, and other ordinary and extraordinary taxes. The aforementioned subdivisions where medieval documents are preserved are the following: “Hacienda municipal” (1435-1957) and "Impuestos” (1460-1943).
1.4. The "Elecciones" (Elections) section (1684-1975).
Concerning Jews, there are royal letters containing information on the participation of Jews, such as Zag de la Maleha and Abrahem Abenxuxen, in the farming of royal taxes (folder 6). The accounts of the economic manager on the city council assets ("bienes propios") (1462-64) record the farming of municipal taxes by some Jews, such as Abraem Arevalo, who farmed the "peso" tax, or Jaco Frances, who farmed the fish market tax. There are also references to the payment made by the city council to Jews who worked at the service of the city, such as Aser, a blacksmith, or Abrahem el Levi, surgeon (leg. 422/1). City council orders addressed to Jews are preserved, such as the order that compels Mose Quito, surgeon and tax farmer, to pay the alms granted by the Monarchs to the San Francisco de Alcala Monastery (1485) (leg. 1097/1). Records on 15th century properties of Jews in the city are also preserved.
Archival history
The Municipal Archive of Alcala de Henares (Archivo Municipal de Alcala de Henares), in different locations, has always been in charge of the documents of the city council of Alcala de Henares. Between 1978 and 1983, the documents of the "Division Historica" (Historical Section) were deposited at the National Historical Archive in Madrid, in order to carry out an inventory.
Administrative / Biographical history
Alcala de Henares was taken by Christian troops in 1118, and the city council was created at the beginning of the 12th century. In the Middle Ages, the city council was made the assembly of citizens with municipal autonomy. During the Modern period, the municipality lost its autonomy, becoming an administrative organ of the centralized state. From the nineteenth century until the 1978 Constitution, the state of Spain did not grant autonomy to local authorities, establishing various controls on them.
Access points: locations
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
This collection is composed of the following sections: 1. Ayuntamiento de Alcala de Henares (Division historica); 1.1. Gobierno; 1.2. Administracion Municipal; 1.3. Hacienda; 1.4. Elecciones.
Access, restrictions
Free access regulated by the current legal environment on access to Spanish historical archives (law 16/1985 of Spanish Historical Patrimony).
Finding aids
Data on the collection are also available at the website of the Spanish National Archives (PARES).
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Linked resources
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| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Archivo Municipal de Alcala de Henares | Collections (official language of the state) |