Castilian monarchy and dynastic memory: the financing of the Royal Chapel of Granada (1504–1526)

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Royal Chapel of Granada has been analysed from political, institutional, and artistic perspectives, yet it has never been studied from an economic point of view. This paper explores its financing from the moment of foundation in 1504 until the establishment of the Royal Chapel Congregation of 1526. A study of unpublished sources held at the General Archive of Simancas shows that the Catholic Monarchs, particularly Fernando, prioritised its construction to the detriment of developing a sound ecclesiastical organisation in the Kingdom of Granada. These documents highlight the Royal Chapel’s dependence on the royal treasury, by way of juros de heredad or extraordinary payment orders (libranzas), instead of relying on the revenues generated by its own properties and rights. Finally, the paper turns to Carlos V to show how the Royal Chapel became a priority during the first years of his reign.