Name
These documents are identified as alvarás (see Diplomatic analysis – Inscriptio).
The corresponding English term is based on Castro, 2013, pp. 158, 163, and 417.
Specific bibliography
Unless mentioned otherwise, the following typological analysis is based on the diplomatic analysis below and on Coelho, 1989, p. 291, note 2.
Definition
A royal document authorizing the recipient to benefit from a perpetual lease of goods against an annual fee payment. In the case of entails, these assets belonged to entails and chantries (definition based on Coelho, 1989, p. 291, note 2).
Author/producing institution
The monarch through his chancery (see Diplomatic analysis – Intitulatio).
Recipient(s)
These documents could open with a generic address: “To those who see this…” (see Diplomatic analysis – Inscriptio).
Legislation
According to the Ordenações Filipinas, this document was valid for a full year (OF, liv. 2, tit. 40).
Processing
This expositio details the existence of a petition and its subject (see Diplomatic analysis – Expositio).
Administrative validity
According to the Ordenações Filipinas, this document was valid for a full year (OF, liv. 2, tit. 40). The king extended the warrant’s validity beyond the period of one year established by law, detailing specific legislation (Ordenações, Lº 2, tit. 40) (doc. 1 and 2) (see Diplomatic analysis – Final clauses),
Recording and archiving conditions
The final clauses of this warrant ordered its transcription in the tenure contract (doc. 1) or the chantry foundation (doc. 2) (see Diplomatic analysis – Final clauses).