El Viso del Alcor, Seville, has been the scene of the discovery of a 16th-century papal bull, recovered by the Civil Guard after two years of investigation. The document, which had been missing for decades, is an important piece of the historical memory of the locality.
Details about the recovered bull
The bull, issued by Pope Pius V, is related to Fernando Arias de Saavedra, the 7th lord of El Viso and the 4th Count of Castelar. The document is associated with Saavedra's participation and that of other men from the town in the famous Battle of Lepanto, fought in 1571.
Over the years, the history of this bull had been passed down from generation to generation, but its whereabouts had been lost, even casting doubt on its existence. This prompted the Civil Guard to initiate an investigation in October 2024 with the aim of locating the document and verifying its authenticity.
The recovery process
During the investigation, agents found references to the bull in both old and recent publications, including an article from 2000 and another from 2025. This led to focusing the investigation on a local resident who possessed the documented parchment.
On September 2, after interviewing the individual, the recovery of a parchment that he had kept in his home was carried out. The owner claimed to understand the historical value of the document and his willingness to preserve it without profit.
Once recovered, the bull was analysed at the Provincial Historical Archive of Seville. Experts confirmed that the document exhibited characteristics typical of pontifical documents of the time, as well as its authenticity through comparison with records from the Vatican Apostolic Archive.
This discovery not only recovers a valuable documentary piece but also restores part of the cultural identity of El Viso del Alcor, where the history of this bull has been remembered in various events and historical recreations.
The operation was carried out by members of the Research Area of UPRONA and the Heritage Group of the Judicial Police of the Civil Guard Command in Seville.
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