Female Spaces in Málaga

Close examination of documents allows us to understand the role played by women in many spheres of day-to-day life and, in particular, in those spaces that have traditionally been considered to be female: the home, the family, family businesses, and work in the countryside and preindustrial workplaces.

From the 19th century onward, documents reflect the incorporation of women as an essential part of the workforce in factories, as well as their participation in labor and feminist movements.

The documents in this exhibition, covering the period 1509 to 1942, reflect women's endeavors as well as the social spaces allocated to them.

"Santa Tecla" camp

Physical education for women in Spain was linked to the Sección Femenina (Female Section) during the Francoist era. Girls gathered at summer camps or hostels for physical education and Education in the National Spirit (a compulsory subject for secondary school children during the Francoist era). In addition to the element of indoctrination, these camps offered the opportunity for women and young people to travel during that period.

There were several places in the province of Málaga for these types of gatherings, such as the one shown in the image, in Torremolinos.

Notarial act

Notarial act in which four witnesses attest to the fact that the son of Teresa Gómez (a resident of Seville), Pedro Cerón, was taken prisoner in Benagalbón by pirates from Tetouan

In the 16th century, it was common for people to be taken captive in the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula. There were religious orders dedicated to providing ransoms for captives, such as the Trinitarians and the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy.

To obtain the money needed for a ransom, families could request a license giving them permission to beg. Women often took on the task of gathering the money needed to free their sons, husbands, and relatives, often pawning their belongings to do so.

Letter about a dowry and wedding coins

A good dowry was essential for finding a good husband; a custom still seen in the tradition of having a trousseau. Although no longer a requirement today, the tradition of having a trousseau is still linked to women.

The writer of this letter states that "in view of the honesty and laudable garments worn by my future spouse, Trinidad de la Calle y Solís, I send her these wedding coins…"

The inventory of goods, jewels, and money lists and describes, among other belongings, female clothing.

"Carta de ahorría" (letter of manumission)

The Spanish word "ahorría" is derived from the Arabic word "al-hurriya," meaning "free."

Letters of manumission were documents for the freeing of slaves, and in common with other written agreements, were usually written by a public scribe or notary who would authorize the document.

This letter granted liberty to an individual before they were born, since the child of a female slave would also have been the property of the slave's owner.

"Carta de ahorría" (letter of manumission)

In 1611, Covarrubias gave the following definition of the word "horro" (which is derived from the same word as "ahorría") in his dictionary, “Tesoros de la Lengua Castellana” as “one who has been a slave and has been granted freedom by his master.”

This is another example of a letter of manumission, in this case granting liberty for a number of reasons, including the slave's good behavior and conversion to the Catholic faith.

Carriage, lady, and wet nurse

This photograph shows the Palacio de la Aduana in the background (which now houses the Museum of Málaga). In the foreground is a middle-class lady from Málaga taking a ride in a horse-drawn carriage with a nursemaid.

Handing out cribs in the courtyard of the Civil Government

One of the functions of the Feminine Section was to provide care and assistance to those most in need. It was common to see cribs and blankets being handed out to the poorest inhabitants in towns and villages at Christmas during the 1940s and 1950s, an activity that was carried out by women.

The image reflects the hard years following the Spanish Civil War, and the relationship between women and charitable organizations.

Notarial act of Josefa Tudó y Catalán, Princess of Bassano

Josefa Petra Francisca de Paula de Tudó y Catalán Alemany y Luesía signed documents as Mrs. Josefa Tudó, although she was more commonly known as Pepita Tudó.

She was born in Cádiz and settled in Málaga, owning a house in Calle Atarazanas, in an area of the city known as Isla de Arriarán. After a long-standing relationship with Manuel Godoy, who held the title of Prince of Peace, they married in 1828.

María Fragosa pardons Juan Navarrete

María Fragosa, a “woman of the night,” pardons Juan Navarrete, who had stabbed her in a fight at a brothel in the city of Málaga.

In medieval and early modern Castilian penal law, if a person was the victim of a physical offense or attack, as was the case here, they could pardon the harm inflicted on them by simply granting the offender a letter of pardon, a letter of hardship, or a withdrawal of action in the presence of a public scribe, avoiding the need to take the matter to court.

There was a particular type of letter of pardon known as a "carta de perdón de cuernos" (letter of pardon with horns). In this one, a prostitute pardons her attacker. A sum of money would have covertly changed hands as part of the pardon.

María de Egipto requests permission for her daughter to be taken on as a maid

María de Egipto, a gypsy who was blind in one eye (she had a blemish in her left eye), requests permission from the magistrate for her seven-year-old daughter, Juana, to be taken on as a maid to the scribe Antón López de Toledo for two gold ducats. She would use this money to pay for the release of her husband, who was a galley slave.

Málaga's public records reveal the private lives of the inhabitants of its towns and villages: how they lived, what their houses and furnishings were like, and contracts relating to apprentices and domestic servants.

This contract is for the hiring of a maid—a young girl put into service by her mother in exchange for a salary that she would use for the release of her husband, who was being held captive.

Inventory of movable and immovable property in the convents of Antequera

The Spanish Confiscation was a long process in Spanish history which began in the 18th and early 19th centuries, with economic and social repercussions. The State ordered the sale of "mortmain" property, some of which belonged to the Church.

Inventories of the property were drawn up in order to sell them. These inventories of "mortmain" property confiscated from convents were drawn up by the Local Commission for Taxes and Confiscation, in this case in Antequera. They listed all the movable property, including property in the libraries and archives.

Service document

Inmates and prisoners have been a reliable, cheap source of labor throughout much of history.

In this case, they were used in the construction of the women's baths in the Port of Málaga, a closed-off area where women could bathe alone and away from unwelcome attention.

The document alludes to "cavos de vara," who were prisoners put in charge of some of the inmates.

Dowry letter

A dowry letter is a public document written in the presence of a notary, listing the belongings that a woman was going to bring with her into a marriage.

A dowry was a set of belongings contributed by a wife. The husband recognized these items as being entrusted to him, and if the marriage was dissolved, they were returned to the woman.

The origins of dowries lie in Roman law. In the 17th century, a dowry was defined as ”the property brought by a woman when she marries."

Charitable foundations

Charitable foundations were organizations established principally by the nobility and the oligarchy, in this case in Málaga, to set up a fund whose annual benefits would be used to carry out the objectives of their founding charters, including the marriage of female orphans, nuns' dowries, and the freeing of captives.

This one concerns a financial contribution by a married couple to a charitable foundation already in existence, one of whose objectives was to arrange marriages for female orphans.

Will of Trinidad Grund

Trinidad Grund was born in Seville in 1821, the daughter of the Consul of Prussia in the city. In 1832, the family moved to Málaga and became friends with the Heredias, a wealthy, middle-class family. The two families were joined through several marriages: Julia married Tomás Heredia y Livermore, and Trinidad married Manuel Heredia y Livermore.

But Trinidad's life was destined to be one of tragedy. She was widowed young and, soon after, lost her only son in 1856. He was traveling with his daughters, who also perished, on the steamer Miño, which was shipwrecked off the coast of Cádiz.

Trinidad Grund is remembered in the city of Málaga for helping those in need. The street in which her mansion was located now bears her name.

Photograph by Agel at the Carnival: “Battle of the Coils”

Photograph taken by the French consul Louis Agel, at the Carnival in Málaga in 1908. The picture shows a group of women in a carriage, enjoying the festival in Málaga's main street, Alameda Principal.

The photographer named it "Bataille de Serpentins."

The will of Pedro de Mena and his wife, Catalina Victoria Fernández de Urquizo

This will is known to be the second one made by Pedro de Mena, the first having been made in 1666.

Wills are enormously important sources for the study of people's spiritual and religious habits, as well as of their possessions. The contents of these documents provide a wealth of information for researchers.

The last will and testament of these two individuals can provide us with a glimpse into the private lives of the sculptor and his wife, their family, and their possessions.

Plan of the La Estrella baths to be built on the beach at La Malagueta

Seaside spas in the city of Málaga were temporary constructions that were rebuilt every year for the summer season. They were made from iron posts hammered into the sea, with wooden buildings on top of them surrounded by an iron railing.

Hotels in the capital sought permission every year to build these spas on the seashore, close to their own premises. The Diana, the Apolo, the Balneario La Estrella, and the Baños del Carmen were all well-known spas.

They began to appear in 1861, becoming more numerous every year.

The entrance halls sloped down towards a large hall with two swimming pools and a large deck. There were also recuperation and relaxation rooms. A type of bridge joined both parts of the building or areas specifically dedicated to ladies and gentlemen.