Ducado de Baena
Item
Country
ES
Name of institution (English)
Historical Archive of the Nobility
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
spa
Contact information: postal address
Calle Duque de Lerma 2, 45003 Toledo
Contact information: phone number
0034 925210354
Contact information: email
nobleza@cultura.gob.es
Reference number
ES.45168.AHNOB
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Duchy of Baena
Title (official language of the state)
Ducado de Baena
Language of title
spa
Creator / accumulator
Duchy of Baena
Date(s)
1273/1978
Language(s)
spa
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Good
Scope and content
The collection of the Archive of the Duchy of Baena is an interesting family archive, preserving documents belonging to different aristocratic titles and families and covering extensive geographical areas, from the Andalusian lordships of Cabra and Iznajar to the Italian territories belonging to the Sessa and Terranova titles.
This first section of the collection, titled “Ducado de Baena” (BAENA,F.1), contains documents belonging to the following noble titles (BAENA,F.1,SF.1-8): Duchy of Baena, County of Cabra, Viscounty of Iznajar, Lordship of Rute, Lordship of Zambra, Lordship of Doña Mencia, Lordship of Albendin.
The documents are classified in several series according to their type:
1) Genealogy, noble titles, and entailed estate (“mayorazgo”).
2) Nobiliary jurisdiction: This series gathers all the documents generated or related to the exercise of nobiliary jurisdiction: granting of lordships or jurisdictional rights and the transfers, agreements, and lawsuits over them; support of the seigniories to the Crown of Castile, especially in military matters; and jurisdiction over vassals in aspects of government, justice, and taxation.
3) Estate: It contains all the documents related to the familial estate and its administration: managing of assets, domain transfers, delimitation, and increase or decrease of patrimony (through dowries, marital capitulations, etc.). It is, together with the section of estate administration, the largest documentary series and occupies a large part of the collection.
4) Estate administration: This series includes those documents generated or received by the administration of the estate: maintenance and use of properties, estate inventories, accounting, and payment of taxes. Documents produced by the archival activity are also included in this series. The documentation, which occupies a huge volume, is organized by manorial administrations with geographical criteria and deals with correspondence between the administrators and the head of general administration, accountability, and expenses. Otherwise, the documentation produced by the general administration itself includes sumptuary and household expenses, in addition to the record books.
5) Private: This series contains the personal files of each of the family members: for example, work-related, academic, and professional documents and non-hereditary appointments and honors such as decorations, membership in associations and Military Orders, and appointments for offices and positions. Documents produced for familial celebrations and social meetings are included.
6) Staff: tasks performed.
7) Board of pious works (documents related to charitable works and expenses related to religious worship).
8) Collections.
Concerning Jews, the Duchy of Baena section includes information about the taking and possession by the Counts of Cabra of houses located in the collation of San Bartolome in Cordoba, which had belonged to the tax collector Yuçe (1492).
This first section of the collection, titled “Ducado de Baena” (BAENA,F.1), contains documents belonging to the following noble titles (BAENA,F.1,SF.1-8): Duchy of Baena, County of Cabra, Viscounty of Iznajar, Lordship of Rute, Lordship of Zambra, Lordship of Doña Mencia, Lordship of Albendin.
The documents are classified in several series according to their type:
1) Genealogy, noble titles, and entailed estate (“mayorazgo”).
2) Nobiliary jurisdiction: This series gathers all the documents generated or related to the exercise of nobiliary jurisdiction: granting of lordships or jurisdictional rights and the transfers, agreements, and lawsuits over them; support of the seigniories to the Crown of Castile, especially in military matters; and jurisdiction over vassals in aspects of government, justice, and taxation.
3) Estate: It contains all the documents related to the familial estate and its administration: managing of assets, domain transfers, delimitation, and increase or decrease of patrimony (through dowries, marital capitulations, etc.). It is, together with the section of estate administration, the largest documentary series and occupies a large part of the collection.
4) Estate administration: This series includes those documents generated or received by the administration of the estate: maintenance and use of properties, estate inventories, accounting, and payment of taxes. Documents produced by the archival activity are also included in this series. The documentation, which occupies a huge volume, is organized by manorial administrations with geographical criteria and deals with correspondence between the administrators and the head of general administration, accountability, and expenses. Otherwise, the documentation produced by the general administration itself includes sumptuary and household expenses, in addition to the record books.
5) Private: This series contains the personal files of each of the family members: for example, work-related, academic, and professional documents and non-hereditary appointments and honors such as decorations, membership in associations and Military Orders, and appointments for offices and positions. Documents produced for familial celebrations and social meetings are included.
6) Staff: tasks performed.
7) Board of pious works (documents related to charitable works and expenses related to religious worship).
8) Collections.
Concerning Jews, the Duchy of Baena section includes information about the taking and possession by the Counts of Cabra of houses located in the collation of San Bartolome in Cordoba, which had belonged to the tax collector Yuçe (1492).
Archival history
The Fernandez de Cordoba family holds various aristocratic titles, accumulated over the years, either by direct concession to its members or through marriage engagements. The noble titles of the Duchy of Baena are:
County of Cabra. In 1455, Enrique IV granted this title to Diego Fernandez de Cordoba, III Lord of Baena. The County of Cabra remains for the first-born of the House of Baena.
Viscounty of Iznajar. In 1466, Enrique IV granted this title to Diego Fernandez de Cordoba, III Lord of Baena.
In addition to these titles, the Duchy of Baena includes a large number of lordships and territories, among which stand out the Lordships of Rute, Zambra, Doña Mencia, Albendin, Villoria, Valenzuela, Valtagido.
County of Cabra. In 1455, Enrique IV granted this title to Diego Fernandez de Cordoba, III Lord of Baena. The County of Cabra remains for the first-born of the House of Baena.
Viscounty of Iznajar. In 1466, Enrique IV granted this title to Diego Fernandez de Cordoba, III Lord of Baena.
In addition to these titles, the Duchy of Baena includes a large number of lordships and territories, among which stand out the Lordships of Rute, Zambra, Doña Mencia, Albendin, Villoria, Valenzuela, Valtagido.
Administrative / Biographical history
The title of Duke of Baena was awarded in 1566 to Gonzalo Fernandez de Cordoba, VII Señor de Baena, V Conde Cabra, V Vizconde de Iznajar and III Duque de Sessa. It belongs to one of the branches of the Cordoba family, whose main line is the Lords of Aguilar, Montilla and Priego.
Access points: locations
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
This documentary division is classified thusly: 6.1 Baena, ducado de, 1273-1978; 6.1.1 Cabra, condado de, 1342-1838; 6.1.2 Iznajar, vizcondado de, 1435-1795; 6.1.3 Rute, señorio de, 1555-1642; 6.1.4 Zambra, señorio de; 6.1.5 Doña Mencia, señorio de, 1658-1785; 6.1.6 Albendin, señorio de, 1347-1490.
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 Historico de la Nobleza | Collections (official language of the state) |