Political authorities and historians in early 17th-century Aragon: a reciprocal search for legitimacy

Abstract

The consequences of the 1592 rebellion and the massive publication of historiographic texts which spread a negative vision of the Aragonese juridic system provoked a crisis of authority in Aragon. To promote the Kingdom’s institutions, the Aragonese powers enrolled chroniclers. Their mission was to restore the reputation and authority of these institutions but, to impose their work, they had to present themselves as historiographic authorities first, a grade that politic powers could offer them. That is why this paper proposes a study of the double transmission of authority between politic power and chroniclers in 17th century Aragon.