Militares en el Mundo Urbano Fronterizo Castellano (siglos XVI-XVII)

Abstract

From different viewpoints, this article analyzes urban frontier coastal spaces in early modern Castile (16th and 17th centuries). The central focus is on the government practices that had to deal with quite different affairs, but mainly on arbitration of conflicts between urban neighbors and soldiers. The first were under the main magistrate so-called Corregidor jurisdiction, helped in this task by alcaldes (a special variety of mayors). The soldiers had specific military jurisdiction apart from that ordinary for the neighborhood. Many disputes were jurisdictional conflicts due to military special competences in war contexts, when the army widened its powers to control council regiments (milicias concejiles), and also to deal with the military participation in urban in institutions and government. These problems analysis points out the features that create a particular urban-frontier identity, based on the definition of urban community with the exclusion of individuals, groups and corporations that were legally segregated from urban ordinary jurisdiction, government and authorities, in spite of sharing the same urban space and environment.