From the estate to the noble family: the historiography on the Spanish aristocracy of the 19th century

Abstract

The transition from the Ancient Regime to the contemporary world was, for the aristocracy, a rocky road marked by the loss of some of the political and economic domination that they had held in the past. However, far from what might seem, in the 19th noble families of historical lineage had to look for a new fit in the nascent class society that put an end to the former privileged estates. From multiple areas of activity (politics, economy, society, diplomacy, patronage, etc.), the old Spanish aristocracy, in the 19th, continued to carry out a high public and social activity that has only been partially studied. This bibliographic essay aims to address the state of the matter of the studies about the ancient Spanish nobility and the possibilities for research which are opened in the light of new historiographic trends.