XIKOOVA English

The councils of New Spain were key in the organization of the New Spain Church. From the discipline of the clergy to the evangelization of the indigenous peoples, these assemblies left a legacy that defined the religious and social life of the viceroyalty.  See the complete article here: https://www.xikoova.com/en/how-the-councils-marked-the-course-of-the-church-in-new-spain/

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the secular clergy in New Spain was a means of prestige, social mobility and power. Its privileges, such as ecclesiastical privileges and prebends, would be questioned and abolished in the Reform War.  See the complete article here: https://www.xikoova.com/en/the-clergy-in-new-spain-privileges-and-education/

Novohispanic women's convents were centers of piety and economic power, but also spaces of enclosure and moral control: onerous dowries, internal factions, guarded parlors and houses of seclusion reveal the less idealized face of the female religious world. See the complete article here: https://www.xikoova.com/en/the-church-and-women-in-new-spain-convents-beaterios-and-recollections/

The Novohispanic Church was a key power in the life of the viceroyalty: under the royal patronage, it controlled missions, tithes, bishops and parishes, in close relationship -and tension- with the Crown and the viceroy. Ver el articulo completo aquí: https://www.xikoova.com/en/how-ecclesiastical-power-functioned-in-new-spain-patronage-clergy-and-parishes/

In the seventeenth century, New Spain was the scene of fierce feuds between viceroys and archbishops. The mutiny of 1624 and the fear of the Portuguese in 1641 show how power struggles shook the viceroyalty.  See the complete article here: https://www.xikoova.com/en/lawsuits-between-viceroys-and-archbishops-in-new-spain-in-the-17th-century/

In the 16th century, the Castilians themselves in New Spain led conspiracies and rebellions, from the non-conformity with the New Laws to the conspiracy of the Marquis del Valle in 1566. See the complete article here: https://www.xikoova.com/en/rebellions-and-conspiracies-of-castilians-spaniards-in-new-spain-during-the-16th-century/

The conspiracies and rebellions of African and Afro-descendant slaves in New Spain, from Yanga to the mulatto conspiracy of 1665, reveal a forgotten resistance that frightened the viceregal elites. See the complete article here: https://www.xikoova.com/en/african-slaves-and-african-descendants-in-new-spain-forgotten-rebellions-and-conspiracies/

In 1660, the abuses of the mayor of Guadalcázar, in Tehuantepec, provoked an indigenous uprising that combined direct action and legal defense before the viceroy, showing the daily resistance in New Spain. See the complete article here: https://www.xikoova.com/en/the-indigenous-uprising-of-1660-in-tehuantepec-guadalcazar-due-to-abuses-of-the-alcalde-mayor/

During the 16th and 17th centuries, indigenous resistance in New Spain manifested itself in conspiracies, religious rebellions, uprisings against abuses and prolonged wars such as the Mixtón and New Mexico wars. See the complete article here: https://www.xikoova.com/en/indigenous-resistance-in-the-viceroyalty-of-new-spain-conspiracies-rebellions-and-uprisings-16th-and-17th-centuries/

The uprisings and riots in New Spain reveal that the viceroyalty was far from being a peaceful space: Indians, Creoles and even the peninsular elites challenged authority at different stages. See the complete article here: Alzamientos y motines en la Nueva España: rebeliones indígenas, criollas y populares | XIKOOVA

Mexico City is a paradise for those who enjoy art and history. Among its architectural treasures, the baroque style shines with a special force. This style, characterized by its exuberant ornamentation, gilded details and strong symbolism, left its mark on several baroque temples that still fascinate locals and visitors. See the complete article here: The 5 most impressive baroque temples in Mexic...

When La Salle founded the fort of San Luis on land that is now part of Texas, the Catholic monarchy reacted quickly to protect its northern border. This episode marked the beginning of a defensive expansion, Franciscan missions and constant vigilance against the foreign threat.  See the complete article here: La amenaza francesa en el norte del virreinato: el fuerte de San Luis y la respuesta novo...

Evangelization in the viceregal north was more than a spiritual mission: it was also a territorial and political strategy. Franciscans and Jesuits took their ideology to Chichimeca lands, facing resistance, destruction and pressure from the hacienda owners.  See the complete article here: Missionary expansion in the viceregal north: Franciscans, Jesuits, and tensions | XIKOOVA

Beyond their participation in military campaigns, allied indigenous peoples were key players in the founding of settlements during the viceroyalty. From Tlaxcalteca to Otomí, these groups helped establish communities that balanced the tensions between viceregal control and indigenous survival.  See the complete article here: Foundations made with allied indigenous peoples in New Spain | XIKOOVA

The Mixtón War was one of the most significant indigenous resistances of the 16th century. Led by peoples of western Mesoamerica, such as the Caxcanes and Zacatecos, it confronted the viceregal advance promoted by Nuño de Guzmán and reinforced by viceregal authorities such as Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza.  See the complete article here: The Mixtón War: indigenous resistance against viceroyalty expan...

Prompted by the stories of Friar Marcos de Niza, Francisco Vázquez de Coronado led an expedition in search of the legendary Seven Cities of Gold. What he found, however, was a vast arid territory, resistant tribes and a bitter lesson on the limits of myth versus reality. This expedition, although unsuccessful in its initial objective, left a profound impact on the cartography and geographical know...

The northward expansion of New Spain in the 16th century was not only military. Mining, cattle raising and diplomacy marked the emergence of towns and roads in a disputed frontier with the Chichimeca peoples.  See the complete article here: Viceroyal foundations in northern New Spain: mining, roads and Chichimeca frontier | XIKOOVA

The legend of the Seven Cities of Gold drove expeditions to the north of New Spain, between the hope of finding riches and the resistance of the native peoples. This myth, more than a destiny, was an obsession that marked the course of explorers, friars and viceroys.  See the complete article here: The persistent myth of the Seven Cities of Gold: between reality, obsession, and resistance. | XIKOO...

In 1598, Juan de Oñate took possession of lands in the north of the viceroyalty of New Spain. This act not only implied a legal procedure, but also a symbolic strategy to legitimize the dominion over territories already inhabited by indigenous peoples. In this article we analyze the context, the ritual and its implications, highlighting the tensions between the Castilian imperial order and indigen...

In 1552, Ginés Vázquez del Mercado led a mining expedition that promised fortune. A hill north of Zacatecas, pointed out by indigenous informants, raised hopes of finding silver. However, the reality was very different, and the journey ended with a disappointing discovery and his tragic death.   See the complete article here: Ginés Vázquez del Mercado y el cerro que no era de plata (1552) | XIKOOV...

Juan de Oñate's entry into the northern territories in 1598 was an enterprise laden with imperial expectations and human frustrations. Under promises of wealth, evangelization and dominion, his expedition faced the harsh reality of the landscape, the resistance of the native peoples and the attrition of his own people. This article recounts the complex beginning of the so-called New Mexico, from t...

The story of Luis de Carbajal and the founding of the Nuevo Reino de León reveals the limits of viceregal power in northern New Spain: a territory marked by indigenous resistance, internal disputes and religious persecution. See the complete article here: Luis de Carbajal and the foundation of the Nuevo Reino de León: power, frontier and dissent (1579-1589) | XIKOOVA

The failed expedition of Tristán de Luna to Florida in 1559 demonstrated the limits of viceregal power, the complexity of the indigenous peoples of the southeast and the fragility of imperial plans in unknown territories. See the complete article here: Tristán de Luna y Arellano: shipwrecks, deceptions and failure in La Florida (1559) | XIKOOVA

The territorial expansion that gave rise to New Spain combined exploration routes, rivalries between figures such as Cortés and Guzmán, and alliances with indigenous peoples such as the Tlaxcaltecs, Huejotzings, and Totonacs. But upon reaching the north, resistance from nomadic peoples completely transformed the strategies of the viceroyalty in formation.  See the complete article here: Territoria...

Explorer and governor, Francisco de Ibarra led the founding of Durango, the discovery of mines and the territorial expansion of Nueva Vizcaya in the midst of jurisdictional disputes and myths about New Mexico. See the complete article here: Francisco de Ibarra: foundations, mines and lawsuits in Nueva Vizcaya | XIKOOVA