Letter of Nobility in Castile (1571)

This essay presents the English translation of a carta ejecutoria de hidalguía (Letter of Nobility) granted in 1571 to Francisco de Santos by the Royal Chancery of Valladolid. It includes a structured transcription of the original manuscript, historical and legal context, and a documentary appendix. The work explores the symbolic and genealogical dimensions of noble identity in 16th-century Castile, highlighting the cultural and patrimonial relevance of such documents. Originally published in Spanish, this version preserves the structure, footnotes, and illustrative materials of the original, adapted for an international audience. It complements the book El Linaje y la Lanza: Historia del Linaje Duque (Spanish version book) and is archived with DOI in Zenodo and Figshare.