While reading Annamaria Alfieri’s City of Silver, I became interested in learning more details about some of the facts narrated in this book. Among others, I found these two articles which I’ll like to share with the readers of this blog.
The first one (in English), The Economy of Criollo Discourse in the Historia de la Villa Imperial de Potosí, by Denise Galarza Sepúlveda, refers to the book Historia de la Villa Imperial de Potosí written by Bartolomé Arzáns de Orsúa y Vela, between 1705 and 1736, which I presume was taken into account by Annamaria Alfieri during her research.
In the second article (in Spanish), The Effects of the Great Potosí Mint Scandal in Spain, by Francisco Jovel and Roberto Jovel, the authors describe the effects caused in Spain by the great mint scandal which took place in Potosi during the reign of King Philip IV.
Besides the above, there are several characters in the novel whose names correspond with people that existed in reality, Francisco Gómez de la Rocha, Francisco de Nestares Marín and, particularly interesting, Pablo de Santa María Archbishop of Burgos, whose entrance in Wikipedia you can find HERE.
I hope you’ll find this information of your interest.
A Crime is Afoot 