The Professional Certification for the Practice of Architecture in New Spain: The Masters Degree

Abstract

From the second half of the Sixteenth Century, until the establishment of the formal education in San Carlos Academy, the gremial system, with its structure and organization, hierarchy and authorities, ruled the activities of New Spain’s constructors. The exam to acquire a masters degree was the only procedure to enable the practice of architecture as a profession. It had the purpose of proving the candidate’s knowledge and ability to put it into practice. In case of passing the candidate obtained an Exam Letter, a certif- icate given by the authority, that had to be accepted by any institution in the kingdom and allowed the free practice of the profession. The Ordenanzas of Albañileria were the legal frame; they established clearly what the candi- date should prove. The town hall was the institution in charge of complying them. When passing the exam, the master obtained exclusive faculties on how to open a workshop, make works on its own and make appraisals. The architecture was part of some disciplines related to construction: among them masonry, stonework, and carpentry. Because of its origins, ar- chitecture was thought as a job, a mechanical craft. However, during the rst part of the Eighteenth Century, during Illustration, there were attempts to establish Architecture as appellation for activity and consider it a liberal art and not a mechanical craft.

In this investigation it is analyzed the regulation process of the job as an ar- chitect y its relationship with the development in architecture novohispana.