The The Armoury of the Dukes de Alburquerque

The armory of the Dukes of Alburquerque in Cuéllar was a fully developed and extensive dynastic armory, one of the most important in Castile. The book presented here is a comprehensive study of the background, development, and formation of the complex in the 16th century, when an outstanding example of a collection of symbolic importance and expression of the image of noble power was created, located in the main castle of the house. It continues with the construction of a wing for its conservation and exhibition display in the 17th century, in the manor castle, where it continued to grow, although also suffering losses and transformations. It also describes the vicissitudes it suffered in the 18th century, until its disappearance as a symbolic dynastic complex with the demise of the "Ancien Régime" system and the Peninsular War. The monograph is preceded by a corresponding study on the holders of the duchy and some of its most important foundations - such as the Cuéllar castle itself - as well as a chapter in which the reader is informed of the importance, origin, formation and significance of the noble armouries, outlining some of the best known, always with the aim of offering an analytical, explanatory and contextual study, built on the essential descriptive basis.