The main archive of India was founded in the first half XVIII century by order of the King of Spain Charles III. Its collections contain over 48,000 documents from discovery and conquest to history, geography and New World art. In 1987, the building was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. On more than 8 kilometers of shelves you can find unique materials such as the manuscripts of Ferdinand Magellan and Christopher Columbus, or the original treatise of Tordesillas from 1494.
The archive is located in Casa Lonja de Mercadores, which once housed a merchant exchange. The building was built in the second half 16th century during the reign of King Philip II. The author of the design was the Spanish architect Juan de Herrera.
Before the creation of the Central Archives of India, unique documents were scattered in three centers: Cadiz, Simancas and Seville. The supervisor of the transfer of materials was the Spanish historian Juan Bautista Muñoza. Archives are an invaluable source of information for researchers and scientists from around the world.
Attractions inside
