Curas y amancebadas: los pleitos ante el tribunal eclesiástico

The cases brought before the ecclesiastical tribunal of the diocese of León in the early eighteenth century have shed light on the most frequent offences committed by the clergy. These included sexual relations. The committal proceedings that gave rise to these cases provided a large volume of data on this subject, especially in relation to women. In addition, the sentences decreed by the Royal Chancellery of Valladolid have been of particular use as regards the 16th century, in order to compare the sentences imposed by local and higher courts.