Historian Tonka Ivanova delivered a comprehensive lecture on the relationship between the holders of the marquisate of Santa Cruz and the Alhambra encomienda, captivating a full audience at the Aula San Juan de Ávila. This event marked the third and final lecture of the XVI Santiaguista Conferences, introduced by Paulino Sánchez, the secretary of the Brotherhood of Santiago.
Ivanova, who holds a doctorate in History and Art History from the National University of Distance Education (UNED), aimed to provide an overview of the commanders and administrators of the Marquisate House. She began with the first marquis, the undefeated Don Álvaro de Bazán, and traced the lineage of his successors.
She highlighted that the marquises served as commanders from 1572 until 1737, when the seventh marquis became the last to hold the title. Ivanova particularly emphasised the fourth marquise, María Eugenia de Bazán, daughter of the second marquis, stating, “I want to insist on this,” as “very few know” that she administered the encomienda. This was noteworthy, as such roles were typically held by consort kings, marquises, and consort commanders.
The encomienda encompassed “lands, mills, or thirds” and terms on which tithes were paid. Responsibilities were shared: some duties fell to the commander while others were assigned to the tenant, such as maintaining the third house or the dehesa of the Vega de los Palacios, located southeast of La Solana, near Alhambra.
One of Ivanova’s most exciting documents is the 1676 inventory, which the titleholder was required to compile of their movable and immovable assets, with a copy deposited at the convent of Uclés, the headquarters of the Order of Santiago. This inventory details the House of the Encomienda with “brick corners,” “two third houses,” and distinctions between new and restored properties. Ivanova argued for its practical value, stating that a restorer should understand archival documentation before intervening, and for researchers, discovering such documents can be quite thrilling.
Among the intriguing points she raised were the “low palaces” of the dehesa, which she suggested might belong to the Order, and she proposed a field route to search for potential remains.
Following the lecture, the organising brotherhood presented staffs to the new directors elected at the recent assembly and awarded diplomas to outgoing members for their contributions to the brotherhood. Attendees included the mayor, Luisa Márquez, first deputy mayor, Ramón Gallego, councillor for Culture, Ángela Notario, provincial delegate for Social Welfare, Eulalio Díaz-Cano, and the parish priest of Santa Catalina, Benjamín Rey.
