- Valencia (Spain)
David González Agudo
Universitat de València, Economic Analysis, Faculty Member
We exploit the records of a large Toledan hospital to study the compensation of female labor and the gender wage gap in early modern Castile in the context of nursing—a non-gendered, low-skill occupation in which men and women performed... more
We exploit the records of a large Toledan hospital to study the compensation of female labor and the gender wage gap in early modern Castile in the context of nursing—a non-gendered, low-skill occupation in which men and women performed the same clearly defined tasks. We employ a robust methodology to estimate the value of in-kind compensation, and show it to constitute a central part of the labor contract, far exceeding subsistence requirements. Patient admissions records are used to measure nurse productivity, which did not differ across genders. Female compensation varied between 70 percent and 100 percent of male levels, with fluctuations clearly linked to relative labor scarcity. Contrary to common assumptions in the literature, we show that markets played an important role in setting female compensation in early modern Castile. The sources of the gender disparity are, therefore, likely to be found in the broader social and cultural context.
Research Interests:
Little is known about the management of secular clergy assets in early modern Spain. The aim of this work is to analyse agrarian contracts and the evolution of land rent in Toledo between 1521 and 1650, from a representative sample of... more
Little is known about the management of secular clergy assets in early modern Spain. The aim of this work is to analyse agrarian contracts and the evolution of land rent in Toledo between 1521 and 1650, from a representative sample of fifty rural properties belonging to the city’s Cathedral. The census was the most frequent contract, although the lease provided the main source of income for the Chapter. Long-term leases were more prevalent during the first half of the sixteenth century, after which short-term leases increased. From 1521-1529 and 1642-1650, farmland rents increased by 28%, while meadow rents fell by 57%. Such a divergence can be explained by the growing profitability of farmland and increases in the cost of livestock activities. In the seventeenth century, an agrarian depression in the region and the reorientation of Madrid’s grain supplies would have driven down the rents of the Cathedral farmlands that were closely located to the new seat of the Crown. However, the takeover of a considerable share of the leases by Chapter canons and civil elites would have altered both rent trends and contractual formulas. This questions the role of land rent as a proxy for economic performance and casts doubts on the idea that corporate interests would have prevailed over the ideal of maximizing income.
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Differences in material conditions are a determinant that explains the little divergence between northwestern and southern Europe. This article approaches the evolution of prices in early modern Toledo (Spain). The price index includes... more
Differences in material conditions are a determinant that explains the little divergence between northwestern and southern Europe. This article approaches the evolution of prices in early modern Toledo (Spain). The price index includes new items such as housing and employs different baskets over time, reflecting changes in consumption patterns. During the city’s golden age, prices grew faster than in London, Paris, or Amsterdam. Wine, urban rent, and food prices experienced a great increase, coinciding with demographic growth and the arrival of the American precious metals. Prices slowed in the first half of the seventeenth century, throughout Castile’s demographic and economic decay.
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Los resultados de este estudio revelan la importancia de las ventas o alberguerías en la Repoblación segoviana al sur de la sierra de Guadarrama durante los siglos XIII-XV. La documentación archivística, que nos ha permitido identificar... more
Los resultados de este estudio revelan la importancia de las ventas o alberguerías en la Repoblación segoviana al sur de la sierra de Guadarrama durante los siglos XIII-XV. La documentación archivística, que nos ha permitido identificar un 75 por ciento de estos establecimientos camineros, describe el trazado de varias vías antiguas de comunicación entre Segovia y sus extremos del Reino de Toledo. Las alberguerías segovianas se convertirían en un objetivo prioritario de la depredación señorial tardomedieval. Muchas ventas se vieron envueltas en disputas jurisdiccionales y fueron el origen de poblaciones modernas.
This study highlights the relevance of medieval inns (ventas or alberguerías) in the repopulation of Segovia’s southern plains beyond the Guadarrama mountain range, between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries. Archival records have al-lowed us to identify 75 percent of these road hostels and describe several ancient routes between the city of Segovia and its southernmost limits in the kingdom of Toledo. Segovian inns would become a priority target for seigneurial abuse in the late Middle Ages. Most of these establishments were involved in jurisdictional disputes and were the origin of modern villages and towns.
This study highlights the relevance of medieval inns (ventas or alberguerías) in the repopulation of Segovia’s southern plains beyond the Guadarrama mountain range, between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries. Archival records have al-lowed us to identify 75 percent of these road hostels and describe several ancient routes between the city of Segovia and its southernmost limits in the kingdom of Toledo. Segovian inns would become a priority target for seigneurial abuse in the late Middle Ages. Most of these establishments were involved in jurisdictional disputes and were the origin of modern villages and towns.
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Este trabajo estudia los orígenes hidalgos de varias familias de Valmojado, municipio al norte de la provincia de Toledo. Motivadas por las oportunidades sociales y económicas de un nuevo concejo castellano, estas familias emigraron de... more
Este trabajo estudia los orígenes hidalgos de varias familias de Valmojado,
municipio al norte de la provincia de Toledo. Motivadas por las oportunidades sociales y económicas de un nuevo concejo castellano, estas familias emigraron de los Cameros (La Rioja) y se asentaron en la población durante los siglos XVI y XVII. A este respecto, la trashumancia por la Cañada Real Segoviana jugó un papel relevante. /
This article examines the origins of several hidalgo families in Valmojado, a municipality located in the northern border of the Toledo province. Motivated by the social and economic prospects of a new Castilian council, these families emigrated from Los Cameros (La Rioja) and settled in the village during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In this regard, transhumant herding all along the Royal Droveway of Segovia played a relevant role.
municipio al norte de la provincia de Toledo. Motivadas por las oportunidades sociales y económicas de un nuevo concejo castellano, estas familias emigraron de los Cameros (La Rioja) y se asentaron en la población durante los siglos XVI y XVII. A este respecto, la trashumancia por la Cañada Real Segoviana jugó un papel relevante. /
This article examines the origins of several hidalgo families in Valmojado, a municipality located in the northern border of the Toledo province. Motivated by the social and economic prospects of a new Castilian council, these families emigrated from Los Cameros (La Rioja) and settled in the village during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In this regard, transhumant herding all along the Royal Droveway of Segovia played a relevant role.
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Este artículo pretende interpretar el sentido y el alcance de la aplicación de la base 5ª, una de las más controvertidas de la Ley de Reforma Agraria de la Segunda República, en el partido judicial de Illescas, cerca de Madrid. El estudio... more
Este artículo pretende interpretar el sentido y el alcance de la aplicación de la base 5ª, una de las más controvertidas de la Ley de Reforma Agraria de la Segunda República, en el partido judicial de Illescas, cerca de Madrid. El estudio analiza la distribución y la estructura de la propiedad contenida en el Registro de Fincas Expropiables de este territorio, elaborado en 1933 por el Instituto de Reforma
Agraria (I.R.A.). En Illescas, el latifundio no era predominante y las tierras estaban, en general, bastante parceladas y bien cultivadas. El campo no estaba despoblado y la explotación del suelo no era deficiente. Tampoco parece que los salarios rozasen la miseria, ni que el paro agrícola fuera elevado. La ejecución de la Reforma
Agraria en este partido hubiera tenido poco sentido, como si se hubiera aplicado en zonas más septentrionales que no fueron objeto de expropiación.
This article intends to interpret the meaning and the significance of the so-called 5th Basis, one of the most controversial bases of the Spanish Second Republic’s
Agrarian Reform in the judicial district of Illescas, in Central Spain. The study analyses the distribution and structure of the property contained in the Inventory of Seizable Farms, prepared in 1933 by the Institute of Agrarian Reform (I.R.A.). In Illescas, large states did not prevail and farmlands were, in general, fairly parcelled and well cultivated. The countryside was not depopulated and the soil exploitation was not deficient. Wages neither seemed to be near poverty nor rural unemployment was high. The implementation of the Agrarian Reform in Illescas would have made little sense, as if it had been applied in some other Castilian areas that were not expropriated.
Agraria (I.R.A.). En Illescas, el latifundio no era predominante y las tierras estaban, en general, bastante parceladas y bien cultivadas. El campo no estaba despoblado y la explotación del suelo no era deficiente. Tampoco parece que los salarios rozasen la miseria, ni que el paro agrícola fuera elevado. La ejecución de la Reforma
Agraria en este partido hubiera tenido poco sentido, como si se hubiera aplicado en zonas más septentrionales que no fueron objeto de expropiación.
This article intends to interpret the meaning and the significance of the so-called 5th Basis, one of the most controversial bases of the Spanish Second Republic’s
Agrarian Reform in the judicial district of Illescas, in Central Spain. The study analyses the distribution and structure of the property contained in the Inventory of Seizable Farms, prepared in 1933 by the Institute of Agrarian Reform (I.R.A.). In Illescas, large states did not prevail and farmlands were, in general, fairly parcelled and well cultivated. The countryside was not depopulated and the soil exploitation was not deficient. Wages neither seemed to be near poverty nor rural unemployment was high. The implementation of the Agrarian Reform in Illescas would have made little sense, as if it had been applied in some other Castilian areas that were not expropriated.
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The literature on living standards in New Castile, one of the most dynamic regions in early modern Spain, is not very abundant. Research that focused on this issue was at its peak a few decades ago. Nevertheless, several recent... more
The literature on living standards in New Castile, one of the most dynamic regions in early modern Spain, is not very abundant. Research that focused on this issue was at its peak a few decades ago. Nevertheless, several recent contributions are very suggestive. Within this region's borders, Toledo was one of the most relevant and populated cities in the early modern period. Following a broad Castilian trend, Toledo experienced an expansion in the sixteenth century and underwent a decline in the seventeenth century. This paper focuses on the reconstruction of the cost of living in the city between 1521 and 1650. The new price index offers two key improvements: the inclusion of housing, and the use of three different consumption baskets over time that reflect changes in the consumption patterns of the most modest Toledan families. These adjustments are determined by the purchasing power trends, the energy requirements, and the literature on the European history of consumption. The cost of living in Toledo increased by a factor of five between 1521-1529 and 1642-1650. Prices seemed to be more unstable, and inflation steadier during the sixteenth century, especially in its second half. Wine, housing and food items experienced a greater increase in their prices, caused in turn by the demographic growth and by the arrival of the American precious metals. The growth in the cost of living was very limited during the Toledan economic and demographic decay, which occurred in the first half of the seventeenth century. In this period, the most volatile prices corresponded to wheat and wine, whereas those of housing were the most stable. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2
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Data on housing costs and rental markets for the early modern period are notoriously scarce. Using a new database of rent paid on 183 properties belonging to the Cathedral Chapter of Toledo between 1489 and 1650, we reconstruct housing... more
Data on housing costs and rental markets for the early modern period are notoriously scarce. Using a new database of rent paid on 183 properties belonging to the Cathedral Chapter of Toledo between 1489 and 1650, we reconstruct housing costs for various social groups and trace the effect of exogenous shocks on the rental market using hedonic techniques. We document a well-functioning market that responded swiftly and predictably to exogenous shocks. We then explore the impact of adding rent to early modern price indices and estimates of living standards. Price indices show a moderate effect. The addition of rent reduces the gap between Toledo and two northern European locations by up to 9.5%.
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... 2009) and Llopis and García Montero (2007) introduce ... growth and economic expansion see, for example, Nadal i Oller (1984), Marcos Martín (2000), Álvarez Nogal and ... 28 The six working class neighborhoods in our data are Arrabal,... more
... 2009) and Llopis and García Montero (2007) introduce ... growth and economic expansion see, for example, Nadal i Oller (1984), Marcos Martín (2000), Álvarez Nogal and ... 28 The six working class neighborhoods in our data are Arrabal, San Lorenzo, Santa Leocadia, San Marcos ...
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This work focuses on the reconstruction and analysis of three conjunctural variables in early modern Toledo: population, cost of living and land rents. The use of Toledan ecclesiastical and civil sources allows us: 1) to study the... more
This work focuses on the reconstruction and analysis of three conjunctural variables in early modern Toledo: population, cost of living and land rents. The use of Toledan ecclesiastical and civil sources allows us: 1) to study the population trends in the Toledo province between the sixteenth and the nineteenth centuries through censuses and baptismal records; 2) to build a price index for Toledo between 1521 and 1650, which will be useful as an indicator of the cost of living in the city, and for deflating the values expressed in current prices; and 3) to examine the evolution of land rents and their arrangements between 1521 and 1650, based on a representative sample of rural properties belonging to the Toledan Cathedral Chapter.
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Professor Miguel Ángel Ladero Quesada has been internationally recognised for his vast contribution to the history of taxation in late medieval Castile, starting with his famous book La Hacienda Real de Castilla en el Siglo XV (1973).... more
Professor Miguel Ángel Ladero Quesada has been internationally recognised for his vast contribution to the history of taxation in late medieval Castile, starting with his famous book La Hacienda Real de Castilla en el Siglo XV (1973). Ladero’s studies have exerted a powerful influence on different subjects within Spanish political and institutional history, particularly on the history of the nobility, the military, religious minorities, trading activities and local administration. This book, edited by Ángel Galán Sánchez and José Manuel Nieto Soria, pays tribute to Professor Ladero and presents a collection of works by early modernists and medievalists who have been directly influenced by his work over the last fifty years.
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El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar los contratos agrarios y la evolución de la renta de la tierra en Toledo entre 1521 y 1650, sobre una muestra representativa de cincuenta propiedades rurales de su catedral. El censo enfitéutico fue... more
El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar los contratos agrarios y la evolución de la renta de la tierra en Toledo entre 1521 y 1650, sobre una muestra representativa de cincuenta propiedades rurales de su catedral. El censo enfitéutico fue el contrato de cesión mayoritario, si bien la mayor fuente de ingresos procede de los arrendamientos. Hasta mediados del Quinientos prevalecieron los arrendamientos a largo plazo; después se expandieron las fórmulas a corto. Entre 1521-1529 y 1642-1650 la renta en las labranzas creció un 28% y en las dehesas descendió un 57%. Tal divergencia podría explicarse por un creciente diferencial de rentabilidad a favor del cultivo y por un encarecimiento de las actividades ganaderas. La coyuntura agraria depresiva del Seiscientos y la reorientación del abasto madrileño de panes pudieron hacer descender la renta de los labrantíos capitulares próximos a la nueva sede de la corte. La asunción, en determinados momentos, de una parte considerable de los arrendamientos por parte de canónigos y élites locales implicaría que la renta no es resultado solamente de la voluntad de maximización de ingresos por parte del propietario. Este fenómeno, que no había sido abordado en Toledo, condiciona el análisis y la interpretación de los resultados.
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We exploit the records of a large Toledan hospital to study the compensation of female labor and the gender wage gap in early modern Castile in the context of nursing, a non-gendered low-skill occupation in which men and women performed... more
We exploit the records of a large Toledan hospital to study the compensation of female labor and the gender wage gap in early modern Castile in the context of nursing, a non-gendered low-skill occupation in which men and women performed the same clearly defined tasks. We employ a robust methodology to valuate in-kind compensation, and show it to constitute a central part of the labor contract, far exceeding subsistence requirements. Patient admissions records are used to measure nurse productivity, which did not differ across genders. Female compensation varied between 70% and 100% of male levels, with fluctuations clearly linked to relative labor scarcity. Contrary to common assumptions in the literature, we show that female compensation in early modern Castile was set through a competitive market, and not according to custom. The sources of the gender disparity are therefore likely to be found in the broader social and cultural context.
Research Interests:
Este artículo continúa la serie de los publicados en este periódico con fecha 13 de septiembre y 25 de octubre de 2020, y 28 de marzo de 2021. En ellos, venimos ofreciendo una cronología de los guardas de la ciudad de Segovia en los... more
Este artículo continúa la serie de los publicados en este periódico con fecha 13 de septiembre y 25 de octubre de 2020, y 28 de marzo de 2021. En ellos, venimos ofreciendo una cronología de los guardas de la ciudad de Segovia en los «estremos» o latitudes meridionales de su antiguo territorio jurisdiccional: el sur del sexmo de Casarrubios.
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Este artículo es la continuación de los publicados el 13 de septiembre y el 25 de octubre de 2020, donde venimos haciendo una relación cronológica de los guardas de Segovia en su antiguo sexmo de Casarrubios, durante el siglo XV. A... more
Este artículo es la continuación de los publicados el 13 de septiembre y el 25 de octubre de 2020, donde venimos haciendo una relación cronológica de los guardas de Segovia en su antiguo sexmo de Casarrubios, durante el siglo XV. A finales de la Edad Media, la depredación señorial sobre la tierra segoviana obligó a nuestra ciudad a reforzar la vigilancia de los llamados «campos y montes de Canmayor», al sur del mencionado sexmo. La documentación procesal, derivada de los interminables pleitos sobre términos que entonces surgieron, nos ha permitido conocer aspectos históricos muy interesantes. Algunos versan sobre la identidad de los guardas, su ámbito de actividad, sus competencias, sus rondas e, incluso, algunas anécdotas.
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Este artículo es la continuación del publicado el 13 de septiembre de 2020, donde se ilustra la temprana presencia de guardas segovianos al otro lado de la sierra de Guadarrama. La creciente depredación señorial que sufrió la tierra de... more
Este artículo es la continuación del publicado el 13 de septiembre de 2020, donde se ilustra la temprana presencia de guardas segovianos al otro lado de la sierra de Guadarrama. La creciente depredación señorial que sufrió la tierra de Segovia a lo largo del siglo XV obligó a la ciudad a reforzar la vigilancia de sus campos y montes de Can Mayor, al sur del sexmo de Casarrubios del Monte. Las «provanças» de los larguísimos pleitos contra los señores de esta población, antigua cabeza del sexmo eximida en 1331, permiten reconstruir una relación cronológica de los guardas que recorrieron los términos. A través de la documentación procesal podemos conocer aspectos interesantes sobre el paisaje agrario de la época. No menos sugestivo es conocer la identidad de las personas, sus competencias jurisdiccionales, sus rondas, costumbres e, incluso, algunas anécdotas.
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El artículo documenta la presencia de los primeros guardas segovianos en los extremos del sexmo segoviano de Casarrubios, durante el siglo XV.
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Los orígenes de Segovia, al igual que los de otras ciudades castellanas, están estrechamente ligados a su tradición ganadera. Esta vocación, unida a la abundancia de pastos y abrevaderos en la vertiente sur de la sierra de Guadarrama... more
Los orígenes de Segovia, al igual que los de otras ciudades castellanas, están estrechamente ligados a su tradición ganadera. Esta vocación, unida a la abundancia de pastos y abrevaderos en la vertiente sur de la sierra de Guadarrama motivaron, desde al menos el siglo XII, el interés segoviano por esos territorios. La expansión meridional y la delimitación de una amplia zona de pastoreo invernal entre las actuales provincias de Madrid y Toledo, avaladas por varios privilegios de Alfonso VIII, permitirían la travesía o trashumancia interior desde el norte hacia los estremos de la tierra, en lo que serían los sexmos meridionales de Casarrubios y Valdemoro. Esto explica porqué el territorio jurisdiccional de Segovia abarcaba hasta los municipios de Casarrubios del Monte, Valmojado y Las Ventas de Retamosa, hoy al norte de la provincia de Toledo; una zona olvidada por la historiografía.