Editing Viceroy (section)

==Spanish Empire==
The title was originally used by the [[Crown of Aragon]], where, beginning in the 14th century, it referred to the Spanish governors of [[Sardinia]] and [[Corsica]]. After the unification, at the end of the 15th century, later [[King of Spain|kings of Spain]] came to appoint numerous viceroys to rule over various parts of the increasingly vast [[Spanish Empire]] in Europe, the Americas, and overseas elsewhere.

===In Spanish ruled Europe===
In Europe, until the 18th century, the Habsburg crown appointed viceroys of [[Kingdom of Aragon|Aragon]], [[Kingdom of Valencia|Valencia]], [[Principality of Catalonia|Catalonia]], [[Navarre]], [[Portugal]] during the brief period known as the Iberian Union, [[Sardinia]], [[Kingdom of Sicily|Sicily]], and [[Kingdom of Naples|Naples]]. With the ascension of the [[House of Bourbon]] to the Spanish throne, the historic Aragonese viceroyalties were replaced by new [[Captaincy|captaincies general]]. At the end of [[War of the Spanish Succession]], the Spanish monarchy was shorn of its Italian possessions. These Italian territories, however, continued to have viceroys under their new rulers for some time; Naples until 1734, Sicily until 1816 and Sardinia until 1848.

:See also:
*[[List of viceroys of Aragon]]
*[[List of viceroys of Valencia]]
*[[List of viceroys of Catalonia]]
*[[List of viceroys of Navarre]]
*[[List of viceroys of Sardinia]]
*[[List of viceroys of Sicily]]
*[[List of viceroys of Naples]]

===In the Americas===
The Americas were incorporated into the [[Crown of Castile]]. With the [[Spanish colonization of the Americas]], the institution of viceroys was adapted to govern the highly populated and wealthy regions of the north overseas: [[Viceroyalty of New Spain|New Spain]] (Mexico and Philippines) and the south overseas: [[Viceroyalty of Peru|Peru]] and South America. The viceroys of these two areas had oversight over the other provinces, with most of the North American, Central American, [[Spanish West Indies|Caribbean]] and [[Spanish East Indies|East Indian]] areas supervised by the viceroy in [[Mexico City]] and the South American ones by the viceroy in [[Lima]], (with the exception of most of today's [[Venezuela]], which was overseen by the high court, or [[Audiencia of Santo Domingo]] on the island of Hispaniola for most of the colonial period). These large administrative territories became known as ''viceroyalties'' (Spanish term: ''virreinatos''). There were only two [[New World]] viceroyalties until the 18th century, when the new [[Bourbon Reforms|Bourbon dynasty]] established two additional viceroyalties to promote economic growth and new settlements on South America. New viceroyalties were created for [[Viceroyalty of New Granada|New Granada]] in 1717 (capital, [[Bogotá]]) and [[Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata|the Río de la Plata]] in 1776 (capital, [[Buenos Aires]]).

[[File:Joaquín de la Pezuela y Sánchez de Aragón.jpg|thumb|[[Joaquín de la Pezuela, 1st Marquis of Viluma|Joaquín de la Pezuela]], penultimate [[Viceroyalty of Peru|viceroy of Peru]]]]

The viceroyalties of the Spanish Americas and the Spanish East Indies were subdivided into smaller, autonomous units, the ''[[Audiencia Real|audiencias]]'' ([[tribunal]] with the authority to judge), and the [[Captaincy|captaincies general]] (military districts), which in most cases became the bases for the independent countries of modern [[Hispanic America]]. These units gathered the local provinces which could be governed by either a crown official, a ''[[corregidor (position)|corregidor]]'' (sometimes ''alcalde mayor'') or by a ''[[cabildo (council)|cabildo]]'' or town council. Audiencias primarily functioned as superior judicial tribunals, but unlike their European counterparts, the New World audiencias were granted by law both administrative and legislative powers. Captaincies general were primarily military districts set up in areas with a risk of foreign or [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Indian]] attack, but the captains general were usually given political powers over the provinces under their command. Because the long distances to the viceregal capital would hamper effective communication, both audiencias and captains general were authorized to communicate directly with the crown through the [[Council of the Indies]]. The Bourbon Reforms introduced the new office of the [[intendant]], which was appointed directly by the crown and had broad fiscal and administrative powers in political and military issues.

See also:
*[[Viceroyalty of the Indies]] (1492–1535)
*[[Viceroyalty of New Spain]] (1535–1821)&nbsp;– ''[[List of viceroys of New Spain]]''
*[[Viceroyalty of Peru]] (1542–1824)&nbsp;– ''[[List of viceroys of Peru]]''
*[[Viceroyalty of New Granada]] (1717–1819)&nbsp;– ''[[List of viceroys of New Granada]]''
*[[Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata]] (1776–1814)&nbsp;– ''[[List of viceroys of the Río de la Plata]]''