Metadata: Duchy of Gandia (1.5)
Collection
- Country:
- Spain
- Holding institution:
- Historical Archive of the Nobility
- Holding institution (official language):
- Archivo Historico de la Nobleza
- Postal address:
- Calle Duque de Lerma 2. 45003 – Toledo
- Phone number:
- +34 925 210 354
- Email:
- nobleza@cultura.gob.es
- Reference number:
- ES.45168.AHNOB/1
- Title:
- Duchy of Gandia (1.5)
- Title (official language):
- Ducado de Gandia (1.5)
- Creator/accumulator:
- Duchy of Osuna; Duchy of Gandia
- Date(s):
- 1199/1931
- Language:
- Spanish; Castilian
- Extent:
- 1,076 boxes
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- Good
- Scope and content:
-
The Archive of the Dukes of Osuna is composed of seven different archives gathered together through the accumulation of titles by the Tellez Giron family, especially during the eighteenth century. This group of fonds is the largest in the Historical Archive of the Nobility and the most important aristocratic archive in Spain regarding information about medieval Jews. It has 7,581 boxes, which contain abundant and varied information on topics and places in Spain in addition to many other territories and countries, due to the power that this family accumulated over time. It is a relevant collection for the history of Spain from the twelfth to the nineteenth centuries.
The fifth section of the collection, titled “Ducado de Gandia” (OSUNA,F.5), contains documents from the following aristocratic titles (OSUNA,F.5,SF.1-17): County of Oliva, Barony of Realenco, Marquisate of Llombai, Barony of Sant Pau, Barony of Bellreguart, Barony of Albalat y Segart, Barony of Castello de Rugat, Barony of Corbera, Barony of Chella, Baronies of Gallinera y Ebo, Barony of Xeresa, Baronies of Beniarjo y Pardines, Barony of Cofrentes, Barony of Miramar, Barony of Turis, Barony of Vilamarxant, Barony of Santa Maria de la Valldigna.
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 Gandia subsection contains a deed of sale granted by Vidal Abnarrabi, of Zaragoza, of an olive grove located in Zaragoza (1430).
The Barony of Castello de Rugat subsection includes a privilege by Alfonso III of Aragon granting Carbonera and Rugat to Bernardo de Bellvis, with full authority over said places and their Christian, Muslim and Jewish inhabitants (1287-1303).
- Archival history:
- At the end of the nineteenth century, Don Mariano Tellez Giron, last Duke of Osuna, died, and in 1894, a “Comision Ejecutiva de Obligacionistas” seized all assets in his house, including the archive, to pay off his debts. In 1917, the aforementioned commission deposited the documentary collection in the Spanish National Historical Archive in Madrid. Thanks to the contribution of an anonymous sponsor, the Archive of Osuna was acquired in 1927 by the Spanish State. In 1995, the archive was transferred to the Nobility Section, now the Spanish Historical Archive of the Nobility. In 1998, an additional documentary set was acquired from Duran Auctions, which contained documentation on the Lordship of the towns of Arroyo del Puerco, Talaban, Serrejon, El Bodon and its aggregates; that belonged to the House of Benavente.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The Duchy of Gandia has its origin in the grant of the Valencian city to Cardinal Rodrigo de Borja (later, Pope Alexander VI). His legitimized son, Pedro Luis de Borja y Catanel, inherited it in 1483 and received the title of Gandia. The estate of this House increased with small neighboring lordships: Alcodar, Xeresa, and Valle del Gallinera, purchased in 1487. In 1491, Juan de Borja, II Duke of Gandia, purchased the Castillo and Valle del Ebo, and in 1494 he received Lombay, Alfarbe and Catadau. In 1499, the III Duke of Gandia received Miramar, Castellon, Puebla and Rugart. In 1500, the House purchased the Barony of Almoynas, followed by El Real, Beniopa, Benicanena and Benipeixcar in 1502. In 1530, the IV Duke of Gandia, Viceroy of Catalonia, received the title of Marquis of Lombay, a title that would be used by the House’s first-born male. The County of Oliva was linked to the Borja family through the marriage of Carlos de Borja y Castro, V Duke, and Magdalena Centelles, V Countess of Oliva, who also transmitted the rights on the Marquisate of Nules and Quirra.
- Subject terms:
- Agriculture
- Jewish community
- Real estate
- System of arrangement:
- This documentary section is classified thusly: 1.5 Gandia, ducado de, 1199-1931; 1.5.1 Oliva, condado de, 1249-1886; 1.5.2 Realenco, baronia del, 1355-1827; 1.5.3 Llombai, marquesado de, 1238-1851; 1.5.4 Sant Pau, baronia de, 1404-1427; 1.5.5 Bellreguart, baronia de, 1397-1857 ; 1.5.6 Albalat y Segart, baronias de, 1363-1605; 1.5.7 Castello de Rugat, baronia de, 1287-1845; 1.5.8 Corbera, baronia de, 1394-1549; 1.5.9 Chella, baronia de, 1370-1609; 1.5.10 Gallinera y Ebo, baronias de, 1322-1799; 1.5.11 Xeresa, baronia de, 1405-1862; 1.5.12 Beniarjo y Pardines, baronias de, 1425-1580; 1.5.13 Cofrentes, baronia de, 1413-1845; 1.5.14 Miramar, baronia de, 1436-1811; 1.5.15 Turis, baronia de, 1354-1608; 1.5.16 Vilamarxant, baronia de, 1490-1864; 1.5.17 Santa Maria de la Valldigna, baronia de, 1402-1530.
- 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:
- https://pares.culturaydeporte.gob.es/inicio.html
- Yerusha Network member:
- Spanish National Research Council
- Author of the description:
- Marina Girona Berenguer; ILC, CSIC; May 2020
