The archives of the marquises of Legarda at the Archivo Histórico de la Nobleza (Toledo)

Abstract

This paper results from an experience with the archives of the marquises of Legarda, held by the Archivo Histórico de la Nobleza, and developed in the context of the “Programa de Formación de Profesionales Iberoamericanos en el sector cultural”, between October and December 2012. The work consisted of a summarized identification and archival description, which added to the study of the original archival organization performed between the16th and the 19th centuries, led to the integral analysis of this fonds. Thus, we aim to shed light to both historical and archival conclusions about such archives, offering a complete outlook on Legarda’s genealogy from its first to its current generation; on the archival organization during the Ancien Régime in its external features, original order, archival description, and conservation; and on the archives’ content and informational potential. The archives contains plenty of documents on diverse themes, as property management, master’s jurisdiction exercise, and charity affairs. While examining the documents, it is also possible to find sources on episodes of everyday life and criminal cases. More than exhaust the archives’ informational potential, we hope to foster scholars and researchers to know the documents left by the marquises of Legarda, taking into account that in any case they will allow new possibilities for deeper studies.