Isabel I of Castile and the Management of the Royal Treasury of the Alcázar of Segovia (1474-1504)

Abstract

After her coronation in Segovia in 1474, Queen Isabel I of Castile began a premeditated process of administration and strategic use of the assets of the Castilian Treasury due to the lack of silver to pay for the wars that marked the beginning of his reign. The Castilian kings amassed a vast treasure throughout the late medieval centuries, bringing together a considerable set of sumptuary objects with a clear performative and memoiristic intention from the early years of the fifteenth century. The Alcázar of Segovia emerged as the foremost custodian of Castilian wealth, where the splendor of the royal treasury achieved its ultimate representative purpose, serving as the primary site for the preservation and display of dynastic heritage. This article examines the reinterpretation use and reception of the Alcázar’s assets by the Queen, exploring both their gendered dimensions and their role in shaping family and identity memory. Furthermore, it analyzes the relationship of lineage members with these treasures and the mechanisms of symbolic reutilization carried out across generations, highlighting the intricate interplay between economy and the arts in Late medieval Castile.