Genres
Breakdown of genres:
Accounts (Libros de cuentas)
Agriculture (Agricultura)
Anti-Witchcraft (Contra hechicería)
Art and architecture (Arte y arquitectura)
Architecture and the different disciplines of art, such as painting
Astronomy and Astrology (Astronomía y astrología)
Astrological works, calendars, and almanacs. Works that predict the movement of celestial bodies and make predictions based on those movements. The Diccionario de Autoridades defines astronomia as: "La ciencia que trata del movimiento de los Cielos y Astros, prediciéndolos en lo futúro, en que procéde por cálculos arithméticos y trigonométricos, fundados en las repetidas observaciónes de los Phenómenos, ò apariéncias que sucéden siempre. Es voz Griega, que significa ley de los astros."
Biography (Biografías)
Works that focus on the life of the single historical person that is not a saint. These might sometimes fall into the genre of history or literature.
Classical (Obras clásicas)
Works by ancient Greek or Roman authors. This genre is often found in conjunction with other genres in the catalog because classical authors were sometimes separated out from other works in the organization of libraries while other times they were not.
Cooking (Cocina)
Cosmography (Cosmografía)
The description of "the sphere." The Diccionario de Autoridades defines it as: "La descripción del mundo. Distinguese de la Geographía, como el todo de la parte: porque la Geographía solo describe la situación de la tierra; y la Cosmographía explica todo lo elemental y esphera celeste." Similar to astronomical and astrological works, but it does not necessarily describe their movements of the predictions that can be made from them. Several contemporary libraries, including that of Philip IV, distinguish cosmography from astrology and astronomy, so that has been done here (Bouza Álvarez 129-130).
Degree of Studies (Diploma)
A diploma for an educational degree
Dictionaries and Grammars (Dictionarios y gramática)
Dictionaries, grammars, and all that relating to language and linguistics
Didactic (Didactico)
Works that seek to advise or educate. Can be found in conjunction with other genres. Examples include works directed at women (La perfecta casada) and rulers (noted in sub-genres as "Advice to princes").
Drama (Drama)
Economics (Economía)
Emblems (Emblemas)
Books containing pictures matched with short texts. See here for more information.
Ethics (Ética)
Geography (Geografía)
Government and politics (Gobierno y política)
That which relates to the ruling of a kingdom, country, or government
Heraldry and Genealogy (Blasones y genealogía)
Books that talk about the coat of arms and lineages of usually noble families. They are usually described as nobiliarios in Spanish.
History (Historia)
Works in the genre of history are separated in their sub-genres by what it is the history of (e.g. Spain or the New World). The accuracy of the history is not taken into account.
Hunting (Caza)
Law (Derecho)
Includes both civil and canon law. Common texts are parts of the Corpus Iuris Civilis by Justinian or commentaries on it.
Literature (Literatura)
Also known as libros de entretenimiento.
Logic (Lógica)
Maps (Mapas)
Mathematics (Matemáticas)
Medicine (Medicina)
Military (Militar)
Military orders (Órdenes militares)
Music (Música)
Natural Philosophy/Science (Ciencia)
Nautical (Náutico)
Navigation (Navegación)
Philosophy (Filosofía)
Poetry (Poesía)
Religion (Religión)
This genre is majorly divided into theology, theological commentaries (e.g. commentaries of St. Thomas Aquina's Summa Theologiae), ecclesiastical history, devotion and spiritual works, works relating to the sacrament of Confession, sermons or works related to preaching, ars bene moriendi, Liturgical books (breviaries, missals), bibles, biblical commentaries, hagiography (the lives of saints), doctrine, and councils (documents from the Council of Trent or local synods)