Valencia y los gremios en la edad moderna: Estado de la cuestión

Abstract

This essay focuses on the Valencian gilds and colleges from 1450 to 1675 with particular attention to the Carpenters’ guild and the Goldsmith college. This essay explains their foundation, organisation, exams, archives, ordinations, documents, and bibliography from their foundation until second half 17th century. The brotherhoods, gilds and colleges were very important associa- tions in Medieval and Modern European history. They were created by the king and were very influential for the building of national and municipal history. Guilds were composed by craftsmen’s and colleges of artists. The Kingdom of Valencia was an independent kingdom of the Spanish Monarchy from 1238 to 1707, where the guilds and municipal systems of local government intersected throughout that time. Painting did not have a parallel association because painting was a free occupation. Important vestiges of these corporative houses are preserved in the Town Hall Archive and Valencian Kingdom Archive except from the Silk College Archive, which is still in its original location. Through a thorough analysis and review of the available historic bibliography and many archival resources, this paper sets to discuss evidence on their importance for local manufacturing, city growth and the international Valencian art market.