The land-renting price and its trends in the North area of Ávila during the 16th and 17th centuries

Abstract

This article covers the trend of the landrenting prices of the cereal rural lands owned by the Avila Cathedral. The study done is about the North area of the region during the 16th and 17thcenturies. The main conclusions arose by this paper are: 1) the renting-price reached a maximum level of more than 25 per 100 at the end of the 1560–1570; 2) the land-renting prices grew moderately during the first 60 years of the 16th century, it fell sharply during the last 40 years of that century and the next 60 years of the 17th century, and it almost recovered during the last part of the century; 3) taking in consideration the length and intensity of the depressive trend, the area of the North of Avila was one of the Iberian territories where the crisis was more intense from the last part of the 16th century to the first half of the 17th century; 4) the spread of landrenting prices from the small and big properties grew from the last part of the 16th century to the first half of the 17th century.