Murcia

Oh to see how life is getting! Raise your hand who is free of mortgage… Ah! Well, I see a few hands raised, and most of them a little wrinkled. Could it be that the mortgages are going to last us a lifetime? Because the housing problem is not resolved by a saint who was born again to “right wrongs.” Of course, it is necessary to have good advice, file MurciaEconomy and not go through life buying and spending at the good of God.

If this is not the case, it is known that in the end one ends up paying and ‘repaying’ loans until the end of time. Look, this is not new, I who dedicate myself to telling stories have found many “vulture funds” and “little people” of real estate speculation during all the times throughout my investigations.

Without going any further, around the 16th century, one was born in Tordesillas that I believe would be a little more than a precursor of the metaverse, it was called Francisco Gomez de Sandoval-Rojas y Borja (I will put all the last names so that someone gets angry, we already know how the yard is with this pedigree thing), And Duke of Lerma. He did not need multi-user environments, virtual reality or digital platforms to establish himself as one of the best economics professors in the world’s independent university.

Let us also say that he was lucky enough to live during the reign of Felipe III (note that he was nicknamed “El Piadoso”, like that), a king who had no interest in ruling and just wanted to be left alone with his hunting, his theater and other amusements. Returning to Court and eager to name a valid one (and, of course, there was the Duke of Lerma at the right time, in the right place and with the perfect smile) he soon delegated affairs, governance and responsibility to the Duke and this became essential in all decisions.

Turns out, during the reign of Carlos I of Spain and V of Germany, the capital of the Court was established in Toledo (no, it has not always been in Madrid) and it remained there for 42 years, this being the longest period of permanence of the Crown of Castile up to now. But in 1561 it will be when his son Felipe II decides to transfer the capital to Madrid, perhaps guided by its geographical centrality. Although some murmur that it was his wife Isabel de Valois who persuaded him (that she was fed up with the cold in Toledo and that between the walls of Toledo and the bad communications -of course the demands of the AVE came later-, she felt like in a film from the Far West), so Felipe II (I don’t know if they called him “El Prudente” because he wanted to save his marriage, I don’t know) goes with all his entourage to Madrid.

In Madrid, the king is most protected from the scourge of epidemics, it is better communicated, with royal and pious buildings such as the Real Alcázar, which was the Royal Palace since the election of Madrid as the capital of the Spanish empire, the Collegiate Church or the Royal Convent of La Encarnación .

But when Felipe III enters the scene, his favorite (the Duke of Lerma, who is smarter than hunger) buys some properties for a ridiculous price in Valladolid, persuades the king to move his court to Valladolid and thus his properties tripled their value. value (all a real estate ball). Real estate rises with the transfer of noble officials, artists and others linked to the Court (perhaps this was an antecedent of the real estate bubble, I don’t know). It is said that Valladolid went from having 30,000 inhabitants to having 70,000. But the thing does not end there.

The poor king “Pious” did not even have a palace in Valladolid in which to livebut the forecaster of his favorite had previously bought that of the Counts of Fuensaldaña -they say that for 30 million maravedíes- and sold it to the king for 60 million maravedíes (that is doing business and the rest of the nonsense) turning it into a Palace Real.

After the pecuniary success, the Duke of Lerma came up and undertook the same profitable action for his interests, but in reverse, because with them, he invested in Madrid when the Court was in Valladolid and in only 5 years he forced Felipe III to return. to Madrid revaluing its newly acquired properties in the same way, and thus Madrid becomes the capital again with the consequent exodus from Valladolid of nobles, officials and others.

Although this financial lynx that was the Duke of Lerma was also a lover of the arts (thank goodness!) and knew how to attract prestigious writers, poets and artists. Quevedo studied at the University of Valladolid, it was also where Góngora finished his studies in Canons (something like Law), and Cervantes even lived there and it is said that it was where he obtained permission to publish the first part of The Quijote. You see, everything was not going to be disreputable for the Duke.

In Valladolid, the Fuensaldaña Castle began to be built in the 13th century and from the 15th century it became a stately residence, it was restored by the Valladolid Provincial Council and for several years it has been the seat of the Courts of Castilla y León. What better visit? to go back to that time?