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A ''corregidor'' was a local, administrative and judicial official in Spain and its empire. He was the highest authority of a Corregimiento. In the Americas a ''corregidor'' was often called an ''alcalde mayor''. They began to be appointed in fourteenth century Castile and the institution was definitively abolished in 1833. They were the representatives of the royal jurisdiction over a town and its district. ==Development in Spain== The idea of appointing crown officials to oversee local affairs was inspired by the late-medieval revival of Roman law. The goal was to create an administrative bureaucracy, which was uniformly trained in the Roman model. In spite of the opposition of council towns and the ''Cortes'' (Parliament), Castilian kings began to appoint direct representatives in towns during fourteenth century. They were also called ''jueces del salario'' or ''alcaldes veedores'' but the term ''corregidor'' prevailed. The word ''regidor'' often means town councillor in the Spanish language. Thus, ''co-regidor'' was the position intended to co-rule the town together with elected councillors. The first monarch to make extensive use of ''corregidores'' was Alfonso X, who ascended to the throne at the age of eleven. In order to consolidate royal authority and reward the newer nobility and certain great magnates who supported him he greatly expanded the use of the office. Some bishops and local lords were given the right to appoint ''corregidores'' in their territories. Henry used them mostly in Andalusia, the Basque provinces and Galicia, areas where royal power was weakest. The definitive consolidation of the institution occurred during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs (1474–1516). ''Corregidores'' were crucial for the state building process that both monarchs ushered in. Their job was to collect taxes, to report to the crown on the state of affairs in the area, and to ensure that royal jurisdiction was not interfered with by members of the church or the nobility. From 1480 onward, they—and all subsequent Spanish monarchs—never again appointed a noble ''corregidor'' and instead relied exclusively on commoners with legal training to fill this office.〔Harold, ''A History of Spain'', 189.〕 As representatives of the royal power, ''corregidores'' administered justice, both criminal and civil, in the first instance (or in appeal in districts with ''alcaldes ordinarios''), presided over the town council and ruled a district called a ''corregimiento''. They were audited and controlled through the ''juicio de residencia'' (a general audit and review at the end of their term in office) or by means of ''visitas'' (literally, 'visits'; more accurately, 'inspections'), which could occur at any point in their term in response to complaints. The ''corregimiento'' became the basic unit of state administration in early modern Spain. After the War of Succession, the new Bourbon kings introduced them into the Aragonese territories, replacing the ''bailes'' and ''vegueres'', who, nevertheless, had very similar functions to Castilian ''corregidores''. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Corregidor (position)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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