Chamber Animais at the Spanish Court during the Eighteenth Century

Abstract

The modern practice of keeping companion animals originated in European courtly and aristocratic circles between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. The eighteenth-century Spanish court offers a clear case-study of this phenomenon. Here, the traditional passion for collecting exotic animals evolved, so that many of them were fully integrated into the private sphere, residing in the palace in surprisingly large numbers. These ‘chamber animals’ were not solely luxury objects but increasingly became highly-prized pets, on whom their royal owners lavished affection, and to whose care they assigned a small army of servants. The royal family’s example helped to spread this fashion and remained particularly closely associated with it.