Proving nobility in Early Modern Castile

This article analyses a Carta Ejecutoria de Hidalguía (Executory Letter of Nobility) issued in 1571 by the Royal Chancery of Valladolid in favour of Francisco de Santos, whose noble status was contested in Colmenar Viejo (Madrid, Spain). Through the judicial process and the evidence presented, the study examines how hereditary nobility was recognised and defended in early modern Castile. The executory letter insight into lineage, testimony, and the social meaning of noble identity, highlighting the role of mobility and local reputation in shaping noble memory during the Ancien Régime.