Edited and transcribed by Vanessa Johnson, PhD, from the manuscript 2.246 found in the Biblioteca Nacional of Madrid.
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Preamble
General introduction to the method of transcription, themes found in the correspondence and historical background.
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Introduction to main characters
Biographical information on the principal characters mentioned in the letters: friar Pedro de Tapia, don Franciscio de Oviedo, the Dukes of Medinaceli and Infantado, the Count of Castrillo, don Luis de Haro and his wife doña Catalina Fernández de Córdoba. Also Confessor Royals friars Juan de Santo Tomás and Juan Martínez, and the Court Functionaries dons Antonio de Camporredondo and Contreras, Francisco Antonio de Alarcón, along with José González
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January 1646
Letters 1-9. Deal with: death of Cardinal Borja and problems surrounding pensions he bequeathed in his will; appointment of Cardinal Sandoval to Archbishop of Toledo; bad weather; appointments to royal councils; payments to Aguirre and Sebastian Vicente; Haro's visit to Seville
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February 1646
Letters 10-17. Deal with: Arrival of treasure fleets; relations between Medinaceli, Infantado and Castrillo; payments; King's Jornada; Rain; provisions for the army; power balance between Castrillo and Catalina Fernandez de Cordoba; birth of daughter to Duchess of Lerma
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March 1646
Letters 18-29. Deal with: Leganes appointment to army; aid from Naples; price of bread; moral reform at Court; Medina-Sidonia; Jornada; what Tapia should give the King as a present; Haro's return to Court; Easter greetings; Infantado's appointment in the war; arrival of Duchess of San Lucar to Court; state of Church reform
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April 1646
Letters 30-35. Deal with: expulsion of Monterrey from Court; arrival of Haro; Jornada; influence of Confessor Royal; Infantado leaving for the front; sculpture; moral reform; what Tapia gave the King; illness of Prince; meeting with King; Tapia starts visitation
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May 1646
Letters 36-44. Deal with: Illness of Prince; payments; rain; multiple office holding; position of enemy; Leganes at front; receipt of code from Medinaceli; moral reform; sculpture; Prince's diet; Haro in Zaragoza
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June 1646
Letters 45-53. Deal with: news from Medinaceli; habit for Luis; payments; visitation; Infantado in the war; illnesses; affair of Antonia de Mendoza; sculpture; assistance of Pedro Pacheco; heat
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July 1646
Letters 54-58. Deal with: Antonia de Mendoza; position of enemy; who is to fetch Mariana of Austria; letters to Medinaceli; visitation
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August 1646
Letters 59-68. Deal with: Antonia de Mendoza; Oviedo to go to Zaragoza; Prince; Castrillo vs Haro; things sent to Medinaceli; habit/exam of Luis; Infantado news; deaths; inquisitorial cases - Chirivoga and Protonotary; sculpture
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September 1646
Letters 69-77. Deal with: Harvest; Antonia de Mendoza; habit of Luis; marriages; war effort; death of Count of Saldana; letters to Castrillo, Haro, Catalina, etc; Tapia to go to Zaragoza
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October 1646
Letters 78-86. Deal with: death of Prince; Jornada; war effort; audiences with King; Corts of Aragon; prices in Zaragoza; illness of Medinaceli; habit of Luis; payments; Prince's funeral arrangements
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November 1646
Letters 87-88. Deal with: condolence letters; Council of War; habit of Luis; rain; Medinaceli and Juan de Austria; Antonia de Mendoza
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December 1646
Letters 89- 95. Deal with: Tapia at Medinaceli; Castrillo; letters to Haro and Confessor; habit of Luis; payments; sculpture; marriage of Liche and Antonia de la Cerda; Antonia de Mendoza; factions/armies; Protonotary
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January 1647
Letters 96-104. Deal with: post; Medinaceli and Juan de Austria; sculpture; Castrillo going to Andalucia; Haro's influence; uprising in Andalucia; Catalina's illness after giving birth; retirements; King's marriage; Liche and Antonia; rain; illness of Admiral.
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February 1647
Letters 105-114. Deal with: snow and rain; Aytona appointed to Catalonia; Castrillo's problems on journey; peace with Holland; sculpture; wheat; improvement of Catalina; letters from Medinaceli; Antonia de Mendoza; reform of clerics; problems with soldiers from Catalonia; news from Andalucia; death of Admiral; Antonia and Liche
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March 1647
Letters 115-122. Deal with: payments; marriage rumours; Antonia de Mendoza; sculpture; Castrillo in San Lucar with Medinaceli; Marchioness of Ladrada gossip; Andalucia uprising; Antonia and Liche
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April 1647
Letters 123-130. Deal with: payments; Protonotary; sculpture; rain; Catalina ill; letters to Nuncio; Antonia and Liche; duel Sessa and Leganes; donativos
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May 1647
Letters 131-138. Deal with: accounts; snow; treasure fleets; visitation; state of army; armada; news from Paris; Catalina ill; Antonia and Liche; lots of illnesses; letters from Medinaceli; donativos and wheat
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June 1647
Letters 139-143. Deal with: visitation; letters; Antonia and Liche; habit of Luis; Haro to go to Zaragoza; war; whear; Catalina ill; donativos
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July 1647
Letters 144-147. Deal with: return of Haro; Medinaceli wanting to leave Andalucia; illnesses; Catalina a bit better; habit of Luis; news from England; Antonia de Mendoza
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August 1647
Letters 148-157. Deal with: habit for Luis; Antonia and Liche; Medinaceli's licence; payments; riots in Naples; Catalina illness; Protonotary; King's accident; war; illnesses; lawsuit Medinaceli and Priego
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September 1647
Letters 158-162. Deal with: Tapia illness; Protonotary; death of Duchess of San Lucar
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October 1647
Letters 163-166. Deal with: Tapia illness; illness of Duke of Alcala; illness of Duchess of Infantado; Castrillo's letters to Tapia
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November 1647
Letters 167-175. Deal with: Tapia illness; Antonia and Liche; operation and death of Catalina; lawsuit Medinaceli and Priego; Naples; horse sent to Luis; Castrillo; Haro and Leganes influence; Alarcon died - Gonzalez to get job; execution of Antonia de la Torre; Medinaceli illness
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December 1647
Letters 176-180. Deal with: Naples; habit for Luis; payments; problems with vice-regal appointments; Medinaceli trying to come to Madrid
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Biographical information - where available - on people mentioned in the correspondence and links to letters in which reference is made to them. People are listed by their first surname, not by their title.
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Appendices
Map of Visitations made by friar Pedro to his diocese in 1646 and 1647. Family trees of principal characters.