Real Audiencia y Chancillería de Valladolid facts for kids
The Royal Audiencia and Chancellería of Valladolid was a very important court of law in Spain. It was like a high court that handled many legal cases. King Henry II of Castile started it in 1371. This court had power over almost all the land of the Crown of Castile. It was based in the city of Valladolid. For hundreds of years, it was the highest court in the kingdom. It stopped working in 1834 because of new government changes.
In 1494, a new court was made in Ciudad Real. This meant the Valladolid court lost some of its power. Later, the Ciudad Real court moved to Granada in 1505. This new court was called the Royal Chancillería of Granada.
Contents
How Did the Royal Court Begin?
King Henry II of Castile created this court to help with justice. He did this after people asked for it at a meeting called the Cortes of Toro in 1371. The court had eight "oidores," who were like learned judges. It also had two church leaders and "chancellors" who put official seals on documents.
By 1387, King John I of Castile started calling these courts "chancillerías." This meant they were the highest courts for appeals. At this time, the Valladolid court had a leader, sixteen civil judges, and three judges for serious crimes. These judges worked in different groups: four for civil cases, one for criminal cases, and one for cases involving nobles. The decisions made by this court were usually final. But, if a case was very serious, it could be looked at again by the Council of Castile.
Where Was the Court Located?
At first, the Royal Court of Valladolid moved around a lot, just like the king's own court. But during the time of the Catholic Monarchs, Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand V, it got a permanent home. This was confirmed in 1489.
Isabella and Ferdinand then divided the kingdom into two areas for justice. The area north of the Tagus River was handled by the Valladolid court. The area south of the river was handled by the new court in Granada. Over time, more courts were created in other lands that came under the Spanish Crown.
For a short time, from 1601 to 1605, the Valladolid court moved to Medina del Campo. This happened when the king's court moved to Valladolid. Then, it moved again to Burgos for about nine months between 1605 and 1606. After that, it went back to Valladolid when the king's court moved to Madrid. The court stayed in Valladolid until it was closed down in 1834.
The Palace of the Viveros: Its Home
The main building for the Royal Court was the Palace of the Viveros. This palace was built in the mid-1400s. It was a strong, fortified palace for Alonso Pérez de Vivero, who was the chief treasurer for King John II of Castile.
A very important event happened in one of its large rooms, the Sala Rica. The Catholic Monarchs, Isabella and Ferdinand, were married there on October 19, 1469. Their marriage was a big deal because it helped to unite the Crowns of Aragon and Castile.
When the Vivero family owned the palace, it had towers, a wall, a moat, and a strong main tower. But in 1475, the Catholic Monarchs ordered these parts to be torn down. They did this to stop anyone from using the palace in a rebellion against the monarchy. After the Vivero family lost the palace, the Crown changed it to be used by the Royal Court. They also added other parts, like a central courtyard.
See Also
In Spanish: Real Audiencia y Chancillería de Valladolid para niños
