The city, town council and health in Puebla of New Spain, 16th Century

Puebla de los Ángeles was consolidated as an important urban center in New Spain since the 16th century. Its design achieved remarkable precision and, as far as possible, its town council adhered to royal ordinances regarding the layout of public spaces, water management, the establishment of hospitals for the care of Spanish and Indian women and men, the procurement of health personnel and urban police actions. Together with contemporary historiography, this research is based on the agreements of the councilors that are preserved in the Archivo General Municipal de Puebla. Given the impossibility of carrying out an exhaustive study, an adequate number of decrees were selected that irrefutably illustrate the policies aimed at the various issues that touch on health and public hygiene.