Abstract
At the end of the fifteenth century, Isabel of Castile sought to organize the print publication of a compilation of royal law with the aim to disseminate multiple copies of a standardized text in a short period of time and ensure that all judges would apply the same legal code. This chapter studies some marketing aspects of the first and third editions of Díaz de Montalvo’s Ordenanzas Reales, particularly those related to the royal dispatch issued by the Castilian Crown in 1485 to proclaim the Ordenanzas to the Castilian councils. ‘Marketing a New Legal Code’ illuminates the interactions between the Castilian Crown, law and print and seeks to uncover some of the unexpected social, cultural and legal consequences of printing laws in the early modern period.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
There is a very extensive literature on these issues. For an overview on some of these aspects and some bibliographic references, see, for example, J.M. Nieto Soria, Orígenes de la Monarquía Hispánica: Propaganda y legitimación (ca. 1400 – 1520) (Madrid, 1999); P. Neville-Sington, ‘Press, politics, and religion’, in The Cambridge History of the Book in Britain. Vol. III: 1400–1557, ed. L. Hellinga and J.B. Trapp (Cambridge, 1999), 576; K. Sharpe, Selling the Tudor Monarchy: Authority and Image in Sixteenth-Century England (New Haven, 2009); H.-J. Martin, ‘La révolution de l’imprimé’, in Histoire de l’édition française. Vol. 1. Le livre conquérant. Du Moyen Áge au milieu du XVIIe siècle, ed. H.-J. Martin, R. Chartier, and J.-P. Vivet (Paris, 1982), 145–162. I use the term ‘laws’ in a restrictive manner. ‘Laws’ and ‘compilation of laws’ does not refer to printed texts on, for example, legal thought, theory, practice or procedures but to printed established law or embodiments of law issued from the Castilian Crown. Some considerations about this distinction can be found in A. Musson, ‘Law and text: the impact on legal authority and judicial accessibility in the late Middle Ages’, in The Uses of Script and Print 1300 – 1700, ed. J. Crick and A. Walsham (Cambridge, 2004), 95–96.
- 2.
For practical reasons, I name as Ordenanzas Reales all editions of the compilation of laws of the Kingdom of Castile of Alfonso Díaz Montalvo even though the work was not titled Ordenanzas Reales until the edition printed by Juan Hurus in Zaragoza in 1490. For a list of editions, see M.J. de María e Izquierdo, Las fuentes del Ordenamiento de Montalvo (Madrid, 2004), vol. 1, lxx–ii, cvii–xii.
- 3.
Some of these aspects have been studied or published in B. Rial Costas, ‘Las Ordenanzas Reales and national identity in fifteenth-century Spain’, paper presented at the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, The Canadian Association for the Study of Book Culture, Carleton University, May 2009; B. Rial Costas, ‘Printing technology and royal control in fifteenth-century Spain: a case study’, paper presented at the Material Cultures conference, University of Edinburgh, July 2010; B. Rial Costas, ‘Algunas reflexiones acerca de los “maestros de hacer breviarios y escrituras de molde” J. de Bobadilla y Álvaro de Castro (1483)’, Revista General de Información y Documentación, 22 (2012), 175–185; B. Rial Costas, ‘Las Ordenanzas reales de Alfonso Díaz de Montalvo (1484/85): la imprenta en Huete y la política editorial de los Reyes Católicos’, Gutenberg-Jahrbuch, 87 (2012), 135–146.
- 4.
Isabel assumed the Castilian throne upon Enrique IV’s death in 1475, but between 1475 and 1479 there were several successional conflicts between Isabel and Enrique’s daughter. For an overview, see, for example, J.M. Batista i Roca, ‘The Hispanic Kingdoms and the Catholic Kings’, in The New Cambridge Modern History. Vol. I: The Renaissance 1493–1520, ed. D. Hay (Cambridge, 1957), 322–331.
- 5.
For a history and analysis of the nature of the Castilian Cortes during this period, see J.M. Carretero Zamora, Cortes, monarquía, ciudades. Las Cortes de Castilla a comienzos de la época moderna (1476–1515) (Madrid, 1988).
- 6.
J. García Oro, Los Reyes y los libros: La política libraria de la Corona en el Siglo de Oro (1475–1598) (Madrid, 1995), 34–35.
- 7.
Leyes que en las Cortes de Toledo ordenaron los reyes Fernando V e Isabel I de Castilla, 28 Mayo 1480, [Salamanca: printer of Nebrissensis ‘Introductiones’, after 15 June 1480]. See Incunabula Short Title Catalogue (afterwards ISTC) if00074300 and E. Ruiz García, La balanza y la corona. La simbólica del poder y los impresos jurídicos castellanos (1480–1520) (Madrid, 2011), 40. Alfonso Díaz de Montalvo was seem by the Crown as the most suitable person for compiling, revising and editing all old Castilian laws. He had studied canon law in Lérida and Salamanca, and worked as a lawyer during the kingdoms of Juan II and Alfonso IV of Castile, and as a member of the council of Isabel I of Castile and Fernando II of Aragon. For a biography of Montalvo, see F. Caballero, Conquenses ilustres. Doctor Montalvo (Madrid, 1873). A. Díaz de Montalvo also published Fuero real de Castilla, [Sevilla: Alfonso del Puerto, 1483] (ISTC if00325756) and Repertorium legum, [Salamanca: printer of Nebrissensis, ‘Introductiones’ 1485] (ISTC id00178000).
- 8.
A. Bernáldez, Historia de los Reyes Católicos D. Fernando y Doña Isabel (Sevilla, 1870), vol. 1, 120–121. Quotations have been translated from Spanish into English by the author. Ellipses and clarifications are in square brackets.
- 9.
A. Díaz de Montalvo, Ordenanzas Reales, [Huete]: Castro, [after 23 August 1485]. Municipal Archive of Murcia, Biblioteca Auxiliar, Serie 3, n. 54, fol. [305]r-v. Translations of older documents are not always literal. Some literary licence has been taken by the author in making the text more readable and clear.
- 10.
The explicit claims that Alfonso Díaz de Montalvo made the compilation of laws by order of King Fernando and Queen Isabel and that it ‘was finished being written’ in Huete on 11 November, 1584. A. Díaz de Montalvo: Ordenanzas Reales. Royal Library of the Monastery of El Escorial, Ms. Z.II.3, fol. 374r. Criteria for transcription: original word spellings, word partition and capital letters have been retained. Old Spanish letters such as long s conform with modern usage except for the use of ‘ç’. Punctuation marks have not been transcribed. Abbreviations have been expanded; interpolated letters appear in italics.
- 11.
A. Díaz de Montalvo, Ordenanzas Reales, [Huete]: Castro, [between 11 November 1484 and 20 March 1485]. See ISTC id00168700. See Rial Costas, ‘Las Ordenanzas reales’, 135–146.
- 12.
A. Díaz de Montalvo, Ordenanzas Reales, [Huete]: Castro, [between 11 November 1484 and 20 March 1485]. University of Valladolid. University Library, U/Bc IyR 147, fol. [262]r. The colophon of the first edition is a copy of the explicit of the Crown’s manuscript copy. See note 10. Some considerations about Castro’s identity and the date and place of printing of this edition can be found in Rial Costas, ‘Algunas reflexiones’, 175–185; some considerations about the copy, the explicit and colophon can be found in Rial Costas, ‘Las Ordenanzas reales’, 135–146.
- 13.
See notes 20 and 21.
- 14.
The colophon of Centenera’s edition partially copies the colophon of Castro’s but it adds ‘and it was printed in the noble city of Zamora by Antón de Centenera’ on 15 June 1485. A. Díaz de Montalvo: Ordenanzas Reales, Zamora: Antonio de Centenera, 15 June 1485. Royal Library of the Monastery of El Escorial, 34-I-21. Olim: 1-X-21, fol. [259]v. See ISTC id00169000. See note 10.
- 15.
The colophon of the third edition is a copy of the first one. It only differs in the date. See note 10. A. Díaz de Montalvo, Ordenanzas Reales, [Huete]: Castro, [after 23 August 1485]. Municipal Archive of Murcia, Biblioteca Auxiliar, ser. 3, n. 54, fol. [304]v.
- 16.
Ruiz García, La balanza, 106–109.
- 17.
It is noteworthy that printing was understood as a simple tool for writing (by mechanical means) and therefore for making official copies. For some examples and insights into this issue, the validation of fifteenth-century Castilian documents and the complex steps taken by the Castilian Crown from validating manuscript copies to validating printed ones, see Ruiz García, La balanza, 25–26, 122; Rial Costas, ‘Las Ordenanzas reales’, 135–146. See also note 27.
- 18.
For other examples, see E. Ruiz García, ‘Una aproximación a los impresos jurídicos castellanos (1480–1520)’, in V Jornadas Científicas sobre Documentación de Castilla e Indias en el siglo XVI, ed. J.C. Galende Díaz (Madrid, 2006), 320–321.
- 19.
Three copies of this edition are known today: one at the National Library of Spain (INC. 1142), one at the Municipal Archive of Murcia (Biblioteca Auxiliar, ser. 3, n. 54) and one at the British Library (IB 53405). Only the copies kept at the British Library and at the Municipal Archive of Murcia include the royal dispatch in the last printed leaf (the last leaf is blank). The copy kept at the National Library of Spain has lost both leaves (INC. 1142). The copy kept at the Municipal Archive of Murcia has lost the last (Biblioteca Auxiliar, Serie 3, n. 54). Only the copy kept at the British Library has both leaves (IB 53405). See Rial Costas, ‘Las Ordenanzas reales’, 138–139.
- 20.
Documents were normally written by court clerks, read in the presence of witnesses and certified by royal notaries.
- 21.
A. Díaz de Montalvo, Ordenanzas Reales, [Huete]: Castro, [after 23 August, 1485]. Municipal Archive of Murcia, Biblioteca Auxiliar, Serie 3, n. 54, fol. [305]v.
- 22.
The person responsible for validating and distributing the Ordenanzas was Martín de Montalvo, probably due to Montalvo’s very advanced age. Although the details of the agreement between Montalvo, Montalvo’s son and Castro are not known, I think that the publication of the Ordenanzas was entirely managed and financed by Montalvo or his son, who surely played a very decisive role in this process. Phrases and formulas in printed official documents such as printed ‘by commission’ or ‘by order’ of the Crown suggest that the Crown’s interest in promoting and using printing often led to the establishment of special agreements and commercial links between the Castilian Crown and some printers and book traders. The details of these commissions and agreements are still completely unknown, although notes such as, for example, that the edition had been ‘printed at the expense of’ or that the copies would be sold ‘by a fair and reasonable price’ suggest that the editions were normally encouraged and promoted by the Crown, economically supported and marketed by the printer or bookseller and sold at a price fixed by the Crown. Martín de Montalvo probably played the same role. For some examples, see Ruiz García, La balanza, 97–98.
- 23.
A. Díaz de Montalvo, Ordenanzas Reales, [Huete]: Castro, [after 23 August 1485]. Municipal Archive of Murcia, Biblioteca Auxiliar, Serie 3, n. 54, fol. [305]r-v.
- 24.
On 11 June 1485, Martín de Montalvo was in Escalona, a town in the province of Toledo, and sold to its Council a volume of the Ordenanzas, ‘showing a [manuscript] letter from the Crown in which it was ordered that all towns of more than two hundred inhabitants should have the book of the compilation of laws that Montalvo made’. D. Clemencín, Elogio de la Reina Católica Doña Isabel (Madrid, 1821), 211; Caballero, Conquenses ilustres, 143; J. M. Antequera, Historia de la legislación española desde los tiempos más remotos hasta nuestros días (Madrid, 1874), 400.
- 25.
The fact that none of the known extant copies of the edition printed by Castro between November 1484 and March 1585 are signed by Montalvo’s son demonstrates that none of these copies were sold to a Castilian council.
- 26.
Centenera’s edition of the Ordenanzas was only one of a list of numerous fifteenth-century editions – at least seven editions during Montalvo’s lifetime. For a list of editions of the Ordenanzas, see María e Izquierdo, Las fuentes, vol. 1, lxx–ii and cvii–xii. The 700 maravedis that Montalvo’s son was asking for from the Castilian city councils in exchange for a bound and signed copy of his Ordenanzas was a considerable sum which some city councils were likely not able to pay. For example, on 11 June 1485 – four days before Centenera finished printing his edition – the town of Escalona was not able to pay the 700 maravedis to Montalvo’s son ‘because the town did not have enough money at that time’. Clemencín, Elogio de la Reina Católica, 211; Caballero, Conquenses ilustres, 143; Antequera, Historia de la legislación española, 400.
- 27.
The royal dispatch can be considered a primitive example of a privilege which applied publishing strategies used for manuscript to printed texts. For the differences between privileges, grants and patents see, for example, M. Biagioli, ‘From print to patents: living on instruments in early modern Europe’, History of Science, 44 (2006), 139–186. Rial Costas, ‘Las Ordenanzas reales’, 138–139.
- 28.
Historians have assumed that compiling, editing and printing the Ordenanzas was Montalvo’s individual initiative and that Montalvo’s compilation was not authorized by the Crown. But as I have already shown, Montalvo’s royal authorization for compiling and editing Castilian law was already stated in the Ordenanzas written in Huete in November 1484, in Castro’s and Centenera’s editions, and confirmed in the royal dispatch issued to the Castilian city councils on 20 March 1485. I leave aside the analysis of the royal authorization of Montalvo’s compilation as it is not directly related to the official distribution of the Ordenanzas. (Rial Costas, ‘Las Ordenanzas reales’, 135–146).
- 29.
Official copies were not simply reproductions of documents. Official copies had two important parts: the reproduction of the original and the validation of the copy with a new date. Original royal documents were normally handwritten by royal clerks, certified by notaries and issued where the Court was. Copies, instead, could be written and validated by public scriveners and notaries in different places and on different dates. See note 20.
- 30.
A. Díaz de Montalvo, Ordenanzas Reales, [Huete]: Castro, [after 23 August 1485]. Municipal Archive of Murcia, Biblioteca Auxiliar, Serie 3, n. 54, fol. [305]r-v.
- 31.
For some insights on these errors and omissions, see María e Izquierdo, Las fuentes, vol. 1, lxx–ii.
- 32.
The editions printed in Burgos in 1488, in Zaragoza in 1490 and in Seville in 1492 reproduced the errors and omissions of Montalvo’s first version, and only the edition printed in Salamanca in 1500 seems to have copied the revised version of 1485. María e Izquierdo, Las fuentes, vol. 1, lxxi.
- 33.
González Díez, ‘Introducción’, 11; María e Izquierdo, ‘El Ordenamiento’, 462–463; López Díaz ‘Un enigma’, 4–5; María e Izquierdo, Las fuentes, vol. 1, xvii, xxxiii.
- 34.
González Díez, ‘Introducción’, 11; María e Izquierdo, ‘El Ordenamiento’, 462–463; López Díaz ‘Un enigma’, 4–5; María e Izquierdo, Las fuentes, vol. 1, xvii, xxxiii.
- 35.
E. González Díez, ‘Introducción’, in Copilación de Leyes del Reino. Edición facsímil de las Ordenanzas Reales de Castilla de 1484 (Valladolid, 1986), 11; M.J. de María e Izquierdo, ‘El Ordenamiento de Montalvo y la Nueva Recopilación’, Cuadernos de historia del derecho, 6 (1999), 462–463; López Díaz ‘Un enigma: la obra de Montalvo y los Reyes Católicos’, Icade: Revista de las Facultades de Derecho y Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales, 63 (2004), 4–5; María e Izquierdo, Las fuentes, vol. 1, xvii, xxxiii.
- 36.
The different chapters were printed in different quires, probably to allow them to be purchased separately. See Rial Costas, ‘Las Ordenanzas reales’, 138–139.
- 37.
López Díaz, ‘Un enigma’, 26–28.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Costas, B.R. (2017). Marketing a New Legal Code in Fifteenth-Century Castile: A Case Study of the Interactions Between Crown, Law and Printing. In: Bellingradt, D., Nelles, P., Salman, J. (eds) Books in Motion in Early Modern Europe. New Directions in Book History. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53366-7_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53366-7_5
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-53365-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-53366-7
eBook Packages: Literature, Cultural and Media StudiesLiterature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)