The spy and the viceroy : the Espia mayor Andres de Velazquez and the trial against the Duke of Osuna

Abstract

The involvement of the Espia Mayor Andres de Velazquez in the intricate story of the trial against the Duke of Osuna is an episode that can shed light on various issues. Velazquez was a central figure in the world of spies and agents in Baroque Europe, whose life and functions have left few traces in the documents of the time. He was implicated against his will in the climate of purification which began soon after the death of Philip III of Habsburg. The trials against the deceased ruler's validos and their allies and clients were the focus of a controversial and sensitive stage in the history of the Spanish Monarchy, becoming part of a political and intellectual debate on European scale regarding two themes: the presence of a powerful favourite at the side of the legitimate sovereign and the limits to be imposed on his power.