This volume focuses on the various Habsburg courts and households among the two branches of the dynasty that arose following the division of the territories originally held by Charles V. The authors trace the connections between these courtly communities regardless of their standing or composition, exposing the underlying network they formed. By cutting across the traditional division in the historiography between the Spanish and Austrian Habsburgs and also examining the roles played by the courts and households of lesser known members of the dynasty, this volume determines to what degree the organization followed a particular model and to what extent individuals were able to move between courts in pursuit of career opportunities and advancement.

Contributors: Alejandro Lopez Alvarez (Universidad Autonoma de Madrid), Carlos Javier Carlos Morales (Universidad Autonoma de Madrid), Olivier Chaline (Universite Paris IV Sorbonne), Alicia Esteban Estringana (Universidad de Alcala), Jose Eloy Hortal Munoz (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos), Birgit Houben (University of Antwerp), Katrin Keller (Universitat Wien), Jose Martinez Millan (Universidad Autonoma de Madrid), Manuel Rivero (Universidad Autonoma de Madrid), Astrid von Schlachta (Universitat Regensburg), Werner Thomas (KU Leuven)"