Before the Comuneros: Castilian and Genoese Traditions of “Liberty” in the 1516 Málaga Rebellion

Following its Christian conquest in 1487, Málaga became the Crown of Castile’s busiest Mediterranean seaport. The influence of Genoese merchants in Málaga’s commercial and political life led historian López de Coca to suggest that the city’s 1516 rebellion against the Cisneros regency reflected the influence of Genoese ideas. Using previously unexamined evidence, I conclude that while Genoese influence was important, the Málaga rebellion reflected Castilian traditions more than Genoese. Royal letters concerning the revolt also reveal that the administration of King Charles I exhibited remarkable sympathy toward the Málaga rebels’ demands, which resembled those of the Comuneros rebellion in 1520.