Projects and limits of de Duke of Lerma´ s management: the attempted sale of the office of factor del potosí

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to present and analyse de 1612 Duke of Lerma’s project of
selling the position of official within the Caja Real of Potosi, this important position was venal to
royal orders and mass political and judicial line of thoughts. Therefore, the context, as well as the
valido’s relationships with the Council of the Indies, and the arguments against Lerma’s project put
forward by the ministers were taken under consideration. Thus, this research shows and interprets
the new paths explored by Philip III’s valido to increase the Americas’ venality and the king’s
money.