The «Belmosto chimera»: silver, rivalry, and reform in the Kingdom of Naples at the end of the sixteenth century[La “Quimera del Belmosto”: plata, rivalidad y reforma en el Reino de Nápoles a finales del siglo XVI]

This study analyzes the silver import operation carried out in Naples by the Genoese merchant Antonio Belmosto at the end of the sixteenth century. The operation was intended to support the increase in royal revenues, specifically, the recovery of previously alienated income by the viceroyalty, which was later to be resold at a lower interest rate. Although this issue was already examined by Professor Luigi De Rosa in research published in the late 1950s, the present study draws on previously overlooked sources and adopts a new approach, one that shifts the focus from strictly economic aspects to the social dynamics involved. This perspective makes it possible to highlight several previously unexplored elements: the forms of resistance to the circulation of silver in specific types of coinage; the effects of its abundance or scarcity on various social and political spheres, as well as on the currency exchange market; and, finally, the ability of economic actors to devise potential remedies to address the kingdom's economic difficulties