Como la espada, así la vaina. La colección de armas blancas de Don Juan de la Cerda y Silva, iv duque de Medinaceli (1552-1575)

Abstract

This article aims to study the collection of bladed weapons of Don Juan de la Cerda and Silva, the 4th Duke of Medinaceli. To this end, I have analyzed its unpublished post-mortem inventory, protocolized in Madrid in 1575. The collection contains a rich variety of interesting pieces, most of which are contemporaneous Spanish weapon produc-tion. Its possession not only embodied the values of the Habsburg Re-naissance society, but was also used by the 16th century noble elite to display their power from the virtue of magnificence.

Keywords

• bladed weapons
• collection
• the 4th duke of medinaceli
• 16th century
• habsburg renaissance