Thursday, September 29, 2011

2011-2012 Challenges. Number 2




The Dukes of Lerma and Uceda and the Count-Duke of Olivares

This week you will have to research about some aspects of the Hispanic Monarchy during the 17th century: 


QUESTION 1
One of the Austrias´ validos used his power and influence over the king to become very wealthy. He even convinced the king to move the capital city from Madrid to a different city. Who was this valido? What was the new capital city of the Monarchy? When did the court come back to Madrid and why? When intrigues and corruption cases in which he was involved, what did he do to avoid being prosecuted?



QUESTION 2
The famous writer Francisco de Quevedo had intense relations with several validos under Philip III and Philip IV´s reign. What effects did this relations have in Quevedo´s life? Why was Quevedo confined in a monastery between 1639 and 1643?


QUESTION 3
The opposition to the Count- Duke of Olivares´s policy is in the origin of the anthem of a territory of the Iberian Peninsula. What is this territory? What is the title of this anthem and on what events is it inspired?


Images

3 comments:

Alejandro Torrillas said...

These are my answer to the challenge:
1.He was the Duke of Lerma which became very rich, because he knew how to handle the influence peddling, the corruption and the sold of public charges. He also achieve that the king move the capital city from Madrid to Valladolid.The court come back to Madrid in 1606 because of the duke of Lerma advises to the king.
He asked to Rome for the "Capelo" cardenalicio in 1618 with which the King led him to retired to their properties in Lerma and avoid his execution.

2.In 1613, Quevedo was under the service of the Duke of Osuna, who command him delicate diplomatic missions. After the fall of the duke of Osuna he was imprisoned.
After, he became free again, and he returned to the court and started to stablish a great friendship with the count-duke of Olivares. He hadn't a very important role in politic but his advices were listened by the king and many politics.He was confined in a monastery between 1639 and 1643 because they found a memorial of Quevedo in which he denounced the politic of the Count-Duke.

3.This country was Holland.Its title is the "Wilhelmus" and its inspired in the battle of the Thirty Years. It opposed to the king of Spain and support the prince William of Orange and also it tried to obtain the sympathy of the German sovereign.
By see you next day.

daniel pintado said...

heeeeeeeeeeeello!!!!!!!!

1.-He was the duke of Lerma, he tried to move the capital from Madrid to Valladolid, but in 1606 the capital was removed to Madrid...He was dismiss and he was sustitute by the duke of Uceda!!!

To be continued...

Paqui Pérez Fons said...

Hello Alejandro and Dani,

This week´s winner is Alejandro, because Dani didn´t continue with his research. However, Alejandro´s last question is not correct: the question referred to a territory of the Iberian Peninsula. The anthem is "Els Segadors" ("The reapers") and it´s the Catalan anthem. It refers to the Reapers´War, the name the 1640 revolt had in Catalonia.

Here you have the old version in Catalan with subtitles in English:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIsVRmQ-RZ0

And this is the modern version, written in the 19th century:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG9lnsqNHck&feature=related


The history of the Duke of Lerma is really curious, because before convincing the king to move the capital city to Valladolid, he bought a lot of land on the outskirts of the city. When the capital city was moved to Valladolid, he sold these properties at a very high price. He did the same some years later: he bought a lot of cheap properties in Madrid. These properties considerably increased their price when Lerma "convinced" the king to move the capital city back to Madrid. Lerma was an ancestor of many land speculators.

In order to avoid being prosecuted, Lerma was ordained cardinal, as you said. The people in Madrid sung a folk song with this lyrics:

To avoid being hung, the biggest Spanish thief, wears red clothes.
Para no morir ahorcado, el mayor ladrón de España, se viste de colorado (as the cardinals did)



Have a good night and see you tomorrow.