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Convents As Litigants: Dowry And Inheritance Disputes In Early-Modern Spain, Elizabeth Lehfeldt

History Faculty Publications

This article examines the contentious and frequently litigious relationship between convents and the families of professed nuns in early-modern Spain. From the:mid-sixteenth century forward Spanish convents entered into oftentimes protracted lawsuits over disputes involving these nuns' dowry payments, yearly maintenance allowances, and inheritance rights subsequent to their profession. Because the parties to these disputes were willing to risk long-standing and mutually beneficial relationships to defend their social and financial interests in court, these clashes are significant for what: they reveal about the complex social matrix involving nuns, their families, and convents. Nuns demonstrated a profound sense of connection to family …