Indian Nobiliary

Coats of Arms Were One of the Main Symbols of power.

Coats of Arms Were One of the Main Symbols of power. These could be obtained in a hereditary way, or by sovereign concession. When the monarch granted a coat of arms, he did so in the form of a reward for having performed a feat for the Crown.

The cards were official documents that, although they were not linked to the Casa de Alba, arrived in their archive located in the Liria Palace, possibly coming from the Council of the Indies.

Several members of the House of Alba held the presidency of the Council of the Indies between 1550 and 1880

In the past, it was very common for people to take their work home and often those documents ended up being confused with the family's private papers. Let's remember that several members of the House of Alba held the presidency of the Council of the Indies between 1550 and 1880. This was the case of the Count-Duke of Olivares, the Count of Lemos and the Count of Aranda.

Design of the Royal Badges

The royal cards showed, together with the royal disposition, a Drawing with the Weapons Granted, it is believed that to avoid misinterpretations. The design was fixed in the document, giving it legal validity. First the shield was painted and then the layout was written. The writing adapts to the shape of the shield, resulting in a harmonious and visually appealing design.

These emblems were palpable evidence of some of the actions of their owners, graphic representations where each symbol reinforced a specific idea or fact.

A Way to Preserve the memory of their origins and exploits, and to become part of a privileged social group.

Who were these royal cards given to?

They Surrendered to the Indigenous Lords as proof of fidelity to the crown and to the Christian faith. It was also received by some Indian Peoples who actively participated in supporting the Spanish in the conquest. In such a case, towns rose to the status of towns or cities.

Among the royal cards that are kept in the Archive of the House of Alba, we also find those that were given to the Spaniards who participated in the conquest, pacification and settlement, through contributions of people, weapons and money. Likewise, the cities founded by the Spanish also received their coat of arms.