![\"General](\"https:\/\/elcaminoapedales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/456-9-1024x576.avif\")
<\/figure>\n\nThe General Archive of Simancas was founded by Charles V in 1540. The emperor chose Simancas Castle, one of the best-protected medieval fortresses, to safeguard the most important documents of the monarchy. <\/p>\n\n
Throughout history, the archive grew with the addition of collections from the royal administration, the Inquisition, the military orders and other bodies. In the 18th century, with the arrival of the Bourbons, the archive was reorganised and opened to researchers. In the 20th century it was modernised and suitable facilities were created for the conservation of the documents. <\/p>\n\n
The documentary collections of the General Archive of Simancas<\/h2>\n\n
The General Archive of Simancas holds millions of documents, organised into more than 100 sections and collections. Among the most notable archives are those of the Crown of Castile, which include royal documents, correspondence, chancery records and administrative files. <\/p>\n\n
Documents from the Inquisition, the military orders, the House of Burgundy and the Secretary of State are also preserved there. For the study of the Camino de Santiago, the archives of the military orders and the documents about hospitals, hostels and pilgrims are particularly important. <\/p>\n\n
The General Archive of Simancas and its relationship with the Camino de Santiago<\/h2>\n\n
The General Archive of Simancas is a major documentary source on the Camino de Santiago. Its archives document the history of the pilgrimage from the Middle Ages to the Early Modern era, and make it possible to reconstruct the routes, the hospitals and hostels that cared for pilgrims, and the work of the military orders. <\/p>\n\n
Among the most important documents for the study of the Camino de Santiago are:<\/p>\n\n
- \n
- The royal privileges granted to pilgrim hospitals<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The correspondence of the Catholic Monarchs about Santiago<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The documents of the Order of Santiago<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
You can also find pilgrim records, letters of recommendation and documentation about the tolls and fees that pilgrims paid.<\/p>\n\n
Notable documents about the Camino de Santiago in Simancas<\/h2>\n\n
![\"General](\"https:\/\/elcaminoapedales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/458-9-1024x576.avif\")
<\/figure>\n\nThe General Archive of Simancas preserves documents about the Camino de Santiago. Here are some of the most notable archives: <\/p>\n\n
- \n
- Royal privileges to pilgrim hospitals<\/strong>: Documents that record the donations and privileges granted by the kings to the hospitals on the Camino.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Correspondence of the Catholic Monarchs about Santiago<\/strong>: Letters and documents that reflect the relationship of Isabella and Ferdinand with the Cathedral of Santiago and with pilgrimage.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Documents of the Order of Santiago<\/strong>: Files, lawsuits and records of the military order most closely linked to the Camino<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Pilgrim records and letters of recommendation<\/strong>: Documents that certify pilgrim status and their passage through the hospitals along the route.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Documentation on tolls and fees<\/strong>: Records of the taxes that pilgrims paid on bridges and roads.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
How can you consult the General Archive of Simancas?<\/h2>\n\n
The General Archive of Simancas is open to researchers and the interested public, although access to the original collections requires authorisation and is subject to the archive’s conservation rules. Researchers must request an appointment and prove their academic status or justify their consultation. <\/p>\n\n
To make access easier, the archive has been digitised, so it can be consulted online through its website and the Portal of Spanish Archives (PARES).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
What is the General Archive of Simancas? The General Archive of Simancas is the historical archive of the Crown of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3865,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sin-categorizar"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/elcaminoapedales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3864","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/elcaminoapedales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/elcaminoapedales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elcaminoapedales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elcaminoapedales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3864"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/elcaminoapedales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3864\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3866,"href":"https:\/\/elcaminoapedales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3864\/revisions\/3866"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elcaminoapedales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3865"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/elcaminoapedales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elcaminoapedales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elcaminoapedales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Correspondence of the Catholic Monarchs about Santiago<\/strong>: Letters and documents that reflect the relationship of Isabella and Ferdinand with the Cathedral of Santiago and with pilgrimage.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Royal privileges to pilgrim hospitals<\/strong>: Documents that record the donations and privileges granted by the kings to the hospitals on the Camino.<\/li>\n\n\n\n