The idea of ‘naturality’ in the Hispanic monarchy and the formation of Spanish identity between the sixteenth and the eighteenth centuries: an approach

Abstract

‘Naturality’, a juridical and political concept, was fundamental in creating the Spanish identity. The article examines six existing varieties of ‘naturality’ in Spain: in Castile, Aragón, Valencia, Catalonia, Mallorca and Navarre. It draws its evidences from legal compilations. Comparative analysis shows up that they consisted in the privilege of serving the king by being appointed to occupy secular and ecclesiastical offices. All of them evolved equally but the Navarrese ‘naturality’. At the beginning of the eighteenth century three decrees suppressed all naturalities but the Castilian and Navarrese, and gave the king the full control on ‘naturality’ but in Navarre. The new Castilian ‘naturality’ had no name at first and included all others. The subsequent legislation was focused on fixing the condition of being stranger, creating a central vacuum that by usage came to be called Spanish ‘naturality’.