Philip II of Spain and the Power of Money : Between Parliament and Bankers / Carlos Álvarez-Nogal (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid), Christophe Chamley (Boston University).

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Álvarez Nogal, Carlos, Author.

Chamley, Christophe, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Philip II, King of Spain, 1527-1598.

Philip.

Finance, Public--Spain--History--16th century.

Finance, Public.

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge University Press, 2026.

Summary:

"This study examines the financial foundations of Philip II's Spanish empire. Drawing on new archival sources and applying a political economy approach, it highlights how Castile's implicit constitution limited Philip's fiscal power and how he used financial crises with Genoese bankers as strategic tools to counter resistance from the Cortes"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Introduction

PART ONE: Castile in the 16th century: markets, banks and credit

1. Castilian cities, Habsburgs, and bankers

2. The fairs of Medina del Campo

3. The public banks of Castile

4. The administration of the royal finances

5. Royal revenues in Castile

6. The long-term debt: the juros

7. Crecimientos: reducing the yields of juros

8. A model for the public finances in Castile

PART TWO: The first years: triumphant battles with the Pope, France, the bankers and the Cortes

9. The young prince and the financial weapon

10. First test: the 1557 debt restructuring and the war

11. The 1560 Cortes: a new relationship

PART THREE: The sixties: turning to the South while the North was brewing

12. The Bull of the Crusade

13. Taxation in the Low Countries

14. The short-term debt: the asientos before 1575

15. Financing the construction of the Escorial with factorias

PART FOUR: The main confrontation with the cities and the crisis of 1575-77

16. Obstruction in the Cortes (1572-1575)

17. Acceleration towards the crisis: 1575

18. The Decreto of 1575

19. The crisis in the credit market

20. War of attrition between the crown and the cities (1576-77)

21. Resolution

PAR T FIVE: The latter part of the reign

22. Financing in Flanders

23. Exploiting the Armada’s disaster: the millones

24. The Fiesco asiento: from fountains in Castile to streams in Flanders

25. Mesadas with an option to refinance in juros: The Maluenda asiento

26. The renewal of the service of millones and the decree of 1596

27. The resolution of the last crisis

Acknowledgments

Archives

Bibliography

ISBN:

1-009-39367-7