The “destroyer of the realm:” Castilian chronicles and the de-legitimation of Juan Pacheco (d. 1474)

Abstract

ABSTRACT During the fifteenth century, Castilian nobles were subject to criticism in chronicles and other literary texts. Titled nobles, especially those who were closest to the royal court, were particularly hard-hit by these discourses. Some of these aristocrats stand out for the intensity of the diatribes suffered, especially Juan Pacheco, Marquis of Villena, whose political influence would, to a large extent, shape political relations in Castile in the second half of the fifteenth century. The time is ripe for a reassessment of the public image of this figure from a new perspective on medieval political discourses and criticism. The aim of this study, therefore, is to analyse the de-legitimising strategies deployed around his figure, in relation to both his political role in the kingdom at large and his local influence in various cities and regions.