The Spanish “Colectoría” in the XVIth Century: The Monetary Transfers Between Spain and Rome

Abstract

The problems between the Papal nuncio and the Spanish Crown were particularly serious in the field of the Papal revenues. During the sixteenth century, the “Colectoría” of Spain, a commitee charged with the task of collecting the revenues of the vacant bishoprics, increased its importance through improvements in the methods used to transfer to Rome the revenues collected by the Vatican from Spain. This was possible thanks to the massive use of letters of exchange between Spain and Rome since the beginnings of the sixteenth century and to the growing importance of the Treasurer of the Colectoría. The Treasurers were usually well connected with the big genoese banking houses and from this group emerged the so called “Depositarios”, who used the revenues collected from Spain to support the Vatican Treasury.