historical

 

Arts Quarter, also known as Huertas or Santa Ana square, is much more than a set of streets, squares, palaces, churches, theaters and historical characters. It’s the origin of nowadays Madrid urban center, where in 19th century middle classes lived next to the poorest ones, ancient palaces turned into houses and burgeois buildings where placed.

Arts Quarter starts in 16th century, although first houses dates from 15th century. They belonged to Álvarez Gato family, connected with Catholic Kings.

Felipe II’s death

Felipe II died in el Escorial on 13th september 1598, after  saying to Moura: “God, who has given me so many kingdoms, has deprived me of a son able to reign them. I am afraid he is going to be the goberned”. This sentence was known in every european court.

Four hours after his father’s death, Felipe III locked up with Francisco Gómez de Sandoval y Rojas, marquis of Denia (future Duke of Lerma). The King ordered to give to Denia all the important documents and the control of the palace’s keys.

In the name of the King, marquis of Denia, oficial Court Favourite, announced the return to Madrid. Marchioness of Denia used the Queen Chambers; Isabel Clara Eugenia, new king’s sister, stayed with  María de Austria, Maximiliano II’s widow, at Descalzas Reales monastery until her wedding to her cousin Archiduke Alberto.
 
Change has started. Felipe III has free way to support his court favourite.

Felipe III and the Empress anger

The monarch visits frequently Descalzas Reales monastery, where quarrels between him and  the Empress María de Austria due to his governmenet duties abandon are constant. 14th  December 1599 Caetani writes to Aldobrandini, Pope Clemente VIII’s nephew, that Felipe III :

“.....because he is tenacious and doesn’t like hearing bad chatting about his court favourite, he has left Madrid in a hurry, without the Queen, as usual, and has suggested to moves the Court to Valladolid, because he doesn’t want to live in the same city as the Empress”.

The sudden king’s caprice was perfect to Duke of Lerma plans: undo all Felipe II’s labor taking the move to Valladolid as an excuse.

Madrid said the weather was better than in Valladolid, that it had more forests for hunting and resting, and that moving the Court will be difficult and expensive, making cost of life go up. Madrid town hall tried to convince the King with the secure ruin of hospitals and monasteries. Also promised to clean up the city, removing beggars, lowing prices, cleaning the streets. They offered houses and land to Duke of Lerma, but there was no success.

Duke of Lerma said to the king that moving to Valladolid pleased the Lord. On the night of 10th january 1601 the moving to Valladolid was made oficial. Next day the King left Madrid. Queen left four days later.

The Court in Valladolid

9th february the Royal Family reached Valladolid; the Queen pregnant. The Court stayed in Valladolid until 1606.

Madrid entered a decay period: it lost 15000 inhabitants, tenants where paid for not leaving houses abandoned to ruin, alms dissapeared… Great novelists of the Spanish Golden Age mobved to Valladolid: Even Cervantes had a house in that castilian city.

Madrid town hall didn’t stop asking the King to come back. On 22th april 1602 the Empress María de Austria organised a party for the King, trying to please him and convince him to returning to Madrid.

Lerma and his clique were investing in Madrid, where the ral state was very cheap after the leaving of the King. The Court favourite bought lands in Prado de San Jerónimo, at that moment full of farms. It later become what now is known as Barrio de las Letras. When Duke of Lerma bought  Valdemoro to Marquis of Auñón, Getafe and the Carabancheles, the rumours about the return of the Court grew higher.

Return of the Court to Madrid

23rd january 1606, Madrid town hall received a letter notifying the return of the Court. Madrid organised a welcome party with processions and fireworks. Madrid mayor, Silva de Torres, is rewarded with a place in the government (public positions were bought or given as present at that time).

It is supposed that Duke of Lerma amassed a fortune over one million ducats. The government returned between february to april. To avoid bread absence grain was bought to Valladolid and Aragón. Expenses were assumed by the people, with taxes to commerce.

Lerma’s difficult years

Queen Margarita was of age and had given birth to a male heir, so she started to have influence in the court and over her husband’s decissions, becoming a Duke of Lerma enemy.

Differences between King and Queen earnings and spendings were indecent. That’s why between 1603 and 1605 investigations about King finances started.

The results of the investigation were shocking. Diverse government members were implied in a corruption and fraud plot. They were condemmed to prison and were retired of ther positions in order to give example. In order to avoid scandal and draw attention, the moriscos expulsion was made effective. This expulsion had been ordered some years before, but it hadn’t been made yet. Great process against Duke of Lerma didn’t take to long in happen.