Significación y trascendencia del género epistolar en la política cortesana: la correspondencia inédita entre la Infanta Isabel Clara Eugenia y el Marqués de Velada

Abstract

The aim of this paper is make known the unpublished correspondence maintained between the Infanta Isabel Clara Eugenia and the Marquis of Velada, her lord high steward for a period of eleven years in the early seventeenth century. This private correspondence has become a vital source of information, especially for the historiography of the court, specifically in comparison with official correspondence. The content of the letters brings nuance and personal judgements which, by virtue of the freedom with which they were written, prove to have a much greater value than the public documents. Certainly, the letters not only transmitted news but also became a powerful means for maintaining the relationship over a considerable distance. This correspondence provides a number of insights into the political and personal relations between a princess and a courtier. The article also includes a transcription and abstract of the letters.