Pedro Ventura de Puga, último señor de la Casa de Fontefiz

Abstract

This paper is based on documentation from Casa de Fontefiz kept in the AHPOR. The documents cover the period from the sixteenth to nineteenth century and provide information about the patrimony of the house, its social position and the political activities of Pedro Ventura de Puga during the firts half of the nineteenth century. The first part is focused on the origin and evolution of patrimony, way of living, nobility abuses (including social and sexual aspects), and the difficulties to keep the social status. In the second part, Pedro Ventura plays the main role: his participation in the War of Independence and the building of the liberal state. He is a relevant character to undestand the adaptation of nobility to an age of political changes and social ad economical survivals. The defense of the constitution and his participation in the liberal regime is compatible with the maintenance of a economy based on the collection of taxes and nobility titles. Pedro Ventura is politically registered as a moderate liberalist.