Question About Spain During The 1500's ? What would it have been like to live in Spain during the 1500's ?
Question About Spain During The 1500's ? What would it have been like to live in Spain during the 1500's ? Trade? Economy? Hardships? etc? government? Thanks
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Living in the 1500s would be hard by modern standards, but just how hard really depends on the social class of the person you are talking about: Royalty & Peers – If you were a King, a member of the royal family or at least a Duke you could enjoy immense privileges and luxuries for the time period. You would own vast estates, agricultural lands and large chateaus, castles, fortresses and even palaces. You would have the ability to help your friends and family by securing them high positions within the government or the clergy. You would have leisure time as you desired, elaborate entertainments such as balls, tournaments and large hunting parties were available. However, many royalty and peers were very busy with their job. Kings would be responsible for keeping a variety of interests happy, such as the nobles, the peasants and the clergy within the state, and also to formulate policy when dealing with other countries. Peers would be responsible for supporting and advising the king, ensuring the collection of taxes and recruitment of soldiers within their own lands. Nobility – The next rung down on the latter would be the nobility who lacked a duchy or kingdom but could still own large estates as counts, barons, etc. The nobility would lead an extravagant lifestyle though not at the scale of royalty. The noble was still responsible for recruiting and fighting in the King or Duke’s armies as required and for collecting taxes from the people and in providing general services such as security and order, aid in droughts, plagues or other crises. Nobles could also wield influence and establish friends and family in high level positions, though their power in this regard was not nearly as great as royalty. Clergy – The clergy could expect a variety of privileges such as the support of the local populace for food and work on church buildings and lands. Furthermore, members of the clergy could be elevated to high positions such as Bishop, Arch-Bishop, Cardinal or even Pope eventually. These varying promotions brought with them immense influence, wealth and privilege. For example many cardinals obtained important positions within the government such as cardinal Wolsey who managed England for Henry VIII and cardinals Richelieu and Mazarin who superbly advised Louis XIII and Louis XIV of France. Merchants – The merchants could make massive fortunes in the 1500s, sometimes become so powerful as to take over the government completely (as in Florence). Although traditionally the merchants were not considered nobleman or to have noble privileges even though at times they could yield just as much wealth and its by-product: influence and power. Furthermore merchants in Spain during the 1500s were an exceptional people, they were responsible for much of the first exploration of the Americas, South-East Asia and southern Africa. Peasants – You did not want to be a peasant during this time period. Although their lives were simple and uncomplicated, they were prey to their overlords, they were victims of petty and violent crimes and have very little recourse or power to stop their power hungry rulers. They were squeezed for all their wealth in taxes in times of war and they were given often incompitetent support in times of crises. Conclusion – Spain was an exciting time in the 16th century. Adventures could be sought across the oceans, or on the battle field during the Italian Wars, the Dutch Revolt the Spanish Armada or the French Wars of Religion. The time period is popularly referred to as the age of intrigue as assassins murdered political figures such as the first assassination involving a gun when William the Silent Prince of Orange and leader of the Dutch Republic was killed by a zealous Catholic – even more diabolical was the assignation of two kings of France, Henry III and Henry IV. The Protestant Reformation was in full swing and towns were sucked into the religious controversy and violence whether they liked it or not.
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