Changes in land ownership of a noble family of New Spain: the Villanuevas, XVII - XIX Centuries

Abstract

Between the second half of the sixteenth century and the nineteenth century, land tenure in the Toluca Valley underwent profound transformations. Some private properties located on the right bank of the Chignahuapan River, which covered extensive agricultural and livestock areas, ceased to belong to their original owners and passed into the hands of new families and religious corporations. These actors emerged as part of a landowning elite that redefined the control and administration of territorial resources in the region. In this context, this analysis focuses on the trajectory of the Villanueva family, whose wealth and prestige were closely linked to the institution of the Mayorazgo (Entailed Estate). This legal mechanism not only allowed for the concentration and preservation of family properties, but also shaped a land tenure model that favored the continuity of lineage and the consolidation of economic power. However, the progressive fragmentation of these properties—derived from sales, inheritances, conflicts, and legal disputes—opened the way to new processes of territorial appropriation and redistribution.