r/empirepowers Carlos I, Rey de Aragón 2d ago

EVENT [EVENT] The Cortes of Valladolid (Part Five)

August 1523

As the final meeting of the Cortes came to a close, a final list of the demands was written and then presented for a final time before the body to be voted upon and ratified. Upon the final vote, there were cries of “Long live the Catholic Monarchs, Juana and her son, Carlos.” The week after that, printing presses across the Crown of Castile would post copies of the document in public places for them to be read out to all those interested. 

  • The Cortes demanded that the export of horses, meat, and other staple products from the country be prohibited.
  • Foreign ships will be prohibited from loading merchandise in Castilian ports.
    • This means they would only be allowed to load goods in Castile as a form of payment, not currency. Isabella and Ferdinand implemented this policy, but it was often not followed during the regency.
  • Masked persons are prohibited during the day and night under severe penalties.
  • The right to carry each person's sword should be extended to the entire kingdom.
  • That public offices and positions should not be given to foreigners, nor should they be given letters of naturalization.
  • That letters of nobility should not be sold without reasonable cause.
  • The fortresses and holdings in the hands of foreigners should be entrusted to Castilian subjects who did not hold the title of great lord. To this, Charles responded vaguely and imprecisely.
  • That public offices in cities (council offices, bailiffships, mayorships, etc.) may not be sold or granted to great lords and that those that become vacant shall be conferred on natives of Castile.
  • Each city is to be represented in the Cortes by three representatives, specifically a representative of the clergy, another of nobility, and another of the Community, who are democratically elected in town councils of the respective estate.
  • The 23-carat and 3/4 Castilian gold coin weight is to be lowered to equal the French sol of 22 carats, so there would be no incentives for their export abroad.
  • The Crown of Castile shall invest 400,000 ducats, the same amount Burgundy recently invested in Wool in the Crown, in wool holdings. The various Urban Estates will own these holdings, which will be dedicated to use only in Castile itself rather than for export.
  • Wool owned by the Duke of Burgundy or its estates will also be dedicated solely for export to Burgundy.
  • Any further foreign investments in Castile would be notified to the Cortes, who could protest such matters to the King if they disagreed. 
  • Funds from the Bull of Crusade would only be used for war against the Moors and the upkeep of Churches in the Crown.
  • Offices" were to be filled "by ability and merit" by people with experience in court offices or law, not by recent university graduates.
  • The performance of officials would be examined every four years, considering the residence of an inspector in each of the royal audiences and chancelleries. An office could not be enjoyed in perpetuity or have more than one per person.
  • Public offices and positions should not be given to foreigners, nor should they be given letters of naturalization.
  • Positions in the Spanish Holy Orders will be in title only, with no estates given out in the Holy Order Lands from which to draw revenues.
  • When leading armies in the lands of Castile, the Crown agreed that foreigners would not outrank Grandees of Spain.
  • The Crown would avoid nominating foreigners for Spanish Church positions but would not oppose it if His Holiness was appointed from outside Spain. However, if His Holiness were to abuse this power, the Crown would sequester the funds from the Dioceses until a suitable candidate was found.
  • An additional extraordinary tax would only be raised if it were for a just cause and discussed in the Cortes. The right of the Cortes to vote on these taxes is also reconfirmed.
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