In the history of Andalusian nobility from the 15th to the 17th centuries, there is a less visible yet profoundly influential storyline: that of the Jewish converts who managed to ascend within noble households. The study by Enrique Soria Mesa, Judeoconversos y criados señoriales en la Castilla de los siglos XV-XVII (Conversos and Noble Servants in Castile from the 15th to the 17th Century), offers a detailed insight into how these conversos found refuge and a path to integration within the lordships of the time.
Andalusian Noble Houses as a Refuge
From the late 15th century, inquisitorial repression in Andalusia and Castile forced many Jewish-convert families to flee to lordly lands, where powerful aristocratic lineages offered them protection in exchange for their skills and services. As Soria Mesa notes, Andalusian towns and cities such as Écija, Marchena, Osuna, Palma del Río, Montoro, Adamuz, Bujalance, La Rambla, and Santaella became key destinations for these families, many of whom had been persecuted in larger cities like Seville or Córdoba.
One of the chroniclers of the time, Diego de Valera, recounts how, after the massacre of conversos in Córdoba in 1473 (known as the Incident of the Cruz del Rastro), many families fled to Palma del Río and Écija. Similarly, Alonso de Palencia documented similar attacks in municipalities such as Baena, which the Count of Cabra protected.
Noble Servants: The Key to Power in Seville and Marchena
In Seville, conversos played fundamental roles in noble households. In the city, inquisitorial records document numerous cases of converso servants working for the leading aristocratic families. According to Soria Mesa, names such as Pedro de Córdoba (servant of Catalina de Ribera), Diego de Córdoba (servant of Manuel Ponce de León, Count of Arcos), and Rodrigo de Segura (servant of the Duke of Medina Sidonia) appear in reconciliation records and inquisitorial trials.
Marchena’s case is also noteworthy. This town, controlled by the powerful House of Arcos, was one of the enclaves where families of converso servants managed to establish themselves successfully. Soria Mesa mentions a notable marriage in the town in the 17th century: that of Pedro de la Barrera Saavedra y Alarcón and María Ramírez de Cartagena, both descendants of several generations of noble servants. The connection of these families with the Dukes of Arcos demonstrates how noble households facilitated the social advancement of these groups in early modern Andalusia.
Great Noble Lineages and Their Jewish-Origin Servants
Among the Andalusian lineages that sheltered conversos, the following stand out:
- The House of Aguilar (Córdoba): Alonso de Aguilar protected conversos who settled in his lordship. His brother, El Gran Capitán, also defended these groups within his domains.
- The House of Osuna: Soria Mesa notes that in the 15th century, the seigneurial state of the Téllez-Girón family in Morón had numerous servants of Jewish-converso origin.
- Diego de Herrera, warden of Sanlúcar, was married to the daughter of noble servants from the Duke of Béjar’s household, showcasing a network of marriages between servants from different aristocratic houses.
Protection, Integration, and Social Mobility
Converso servants not only received protection from the Inquisition but also managed to integrate into local elites through strategies such as endogamy and the accumulation of key positions. Many rose to influential roles such as stewards, tax collectors, scribes, and even fortress wardens, securing their ascent in the social hierarchy.
Soria Mesa documents cases of servants from noble households who, over time, managed to erase their past and become recognized hidalgos (lower nobility).
The role of Jewish converts in Andalusian nobility demonstrates how noble houses became spaces of integration and social mobility for marginalized groups. From Seville to Marchena, from Córdoba to Sanlúcar, these men and women survived and thrived in a society that, despite its strict limpieza de sangre (purity of blood) laws, ultimately absorbed them into its power structures.
Converso Origins of the Ramírez de Cartagena Family
The Ramírez de Cartagena family played a prominent role in the administration of the Dukes of Arcos, holding positions such as aldermen, treasurers, and wardens. Thanks to their lineage as noble servants, they achieved social mobility despite their converso origins.
Several members of the family held important municipal positions in Arcos and Marchena. For example:
- Don Fernando Mir Rey Ramírez de Cartagena was Corregidor (governor) of Zahara de la Sierra and Bailén and assistant of Marchena between 1714 and 1721.
- In the book Familias judeoconversas de Sevilla y provincia (Jewish-Converso Families of Seville and Its Province), historian Juan Gil, an authority on converso genealogy, confirms the Ramírez de Cartagena’s converso origins based on inquisitorial records, reconciliations, and family connections to other cristianos nuevos (New Christians).
The de la Barrera Family
The de la Barrera family was also a lineage of noble servants, providing stewards to the Ducal House of Arcos and wardens in the town of Mairena del Alcor.
- Antonio de la Barrera Saavedra y Ramírez de Cartagena, a descendant of this lineage, appeared in a limpieza de sangre (purity of blood) file in the Order of Santiago in 1698, indicating that his lineage had been questioned in this regard.
A Marriage of Convenience and Social Ascent
The marriage of Pedro de la Barrera Saavedra y Alarcón and María Ramírez de Cartagena solidified the union of two converso families with a long history of service to the nobility. The marriage was endorsed by the local noble elite, to the extent that the Duke of Arcos, Rodrigo Ponce de León, personally attended as a witness.
Was a Purity of Blood Certificate Mandatory?
Yes, at the time, joining military orders such as Santiago, Calatrava, or Alcántara required proof of limpieza de sangre. However, this process was not only a formality but also a public demonstration of nobility and a way to dispel suspicions of converso origins. In many cases, noble families and noble servants had to provide witnesses, notarial documents, and parish records to prove they had no Jewish or Moorish ancestry.
It was common for genealogies to be falsified or witnesses bribed to conceal converso ancestry. In many lordships, the dukes and counts themselves protected their servants and ensured they were considered «clean,» even if there was evidence against them. In practice, these documents did not guarantee genealogical truth but rather the social acceptance of the applicants.
The Ramírez de Cartagena’s Rise to Nobility
The Ramírez de Cartagena family held a prominent position within the noble power structure in Andalusia, particularly under the patronage of the Ducal House of Arcos. Between the 16th and 17th centuries, their members occupied key administrative positions, establishing themselves as one of the leading aristocratic servant lineages of the time.
Key Positions Held by the Ramírez de Cartagena Family
- Fernando Ramírez de Cartagena: Treasurer, secretary, and chief accountant of the Duke of Arcos (1533-1535) and alderman of Arcos (1535).
- Juan Ramírez de Cartagena: Warden and mayor of Isla de León (modern-day San Fernando, Cádiz) in 1573, and servant of the Duke of Arcos (1581).
- Don Fernando Ramírez de Cartagena: Senior Chamberlain of the Duke of Arcos.
- Don Rodrigo Ramírez de Cartagena: Corregidor of Arcos, Mayor of Arcos, Captain and Warden of the Fortress of Mairena del Alcor, and Warden of Casares (early 17th century).
The Jump to Marquisate in 1799
One of the family’s most influential members, Luis José Ramírez de Cartagena y Salvador, obtained the prestigious post of Alguacil Mayor of the Royal Chancery of Granada. However, in 1799, this title was exchanged for the Marquisate of Cartagena, formally elevating the family into the ranks of nobility.
Learn More
