The “Convent of Saint Clare of Jaén in the Mid-Seventeenth Century: An Approach to Its Sociology”

Abstract

By examining the notarial protocols of Diego Blanca de la Cueva, the official notary associated with the Convent of Santa Clara in the city of Jaén between 1642 and 1667, we have been able to reconstruct not only the convent’s patrimonial capacity but also identify those who governed it—its abbesses—those who managed its assets—its stewards—and those who entered its cloister, namely its residents. Most significantly, this analysis has allowed us to establish the social origins of these women: nuns who, for the most part, belonged to the urban mesocracy of the city, a social group with a marked presence both in the municipal council and within the cathedral chapter.