Divorce and Abuse in 16th, 17th and 18th Century Spain

In this paper, we have attempted to conduct a global analysis of the phenomenon of domestic violence against women in Spain in the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Although the Council of Trent declared the sacramental union between a man and woman to be indissoluble, the truth was that on many occasions the marital project ended in failure. Annulment of marriage was an infrequently employed measure and the alternative of partial divorce was preferred, since this granted temporary separation whilst maintaining the marriage bond. Nevertheless, the Church dragged its heels even in granting partial divorces, preferring instead to exert pressure on the couple to resume their life together. Those worst affected by these restrictions were women, since they were helpless against the violent behaviour of their husbands.