La Corte virreinal y el Cabildo de Lima: un proceso de articulación política, 1544-1560

The Court was a political-social organization that dominated the Hispanic Monarchy during the Modern Age, which articulated power through non-institutional relationships; that is, networks of patronage and clientelism determined by friendship, custom, familiarity, etc. The establishment and formation of the viceregal Court of Lima as a power structure began to take shape with the arrival of Blasco Núñez Vela, the first viceroy of Peru (May, 1544). An important organism for the political cohesion of the courtly model was the Cabildo of Lima, since it was the entity that administered the seat and residence of the vice-sovereigns. Consequently, this research analyzes the personal power relations of the first viceroys with the aediles in order to study the types of grants that the Cabildo obtained between 1544 and 1560. These grants were based on the extension of jurisdiction, the appointment of offices, privileges for the councilors, the concession of land for rent, the provision of pastures for cattle, etc. These favors given by the rulers sought to increase the prestige and rank of Lima with respect to the other cities of the Peruvian viceroyalty. With this in mind, we examine the political alliances that the vice-sovereigns formed with the aediles.