This study raises the question if there was a vice-regal cursus honorum for the noblemen in the Spanish monarchy of the 16th and 17th centuries. In order to answer that question and after characterizing briefly the monarchy and the vice-regal institution, we analyse the careers of the noblemen who were viceroy in more than one territory of the monarchy. The purpose of this analysis is to discover where they started and where they culminated their vice-regal careers. A part from the dignity of the territories, we consider the fact that the monarchy needed certain people in moments of crisis or war. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account if the change from one position to another was out of this kind of need or if it was a promotion or normal investiture, which became normal in time. To distinguish these two factors we make an issue of if moving from one viceroyalty to another was a usual practice of political designation or if this rather implied circumstantial or exceptional situations, such as war or a revolt.