Festivals in Spain from 1541 to 1760

Early Modern festivals in Spain have been less intensively studied than those of other European countries, despite the fact that during the sixteenth century the Spanish empire dominated Europe politically and Spanish cultural achievements had a profound impact on the rest of Europe. This book seeks to fill this gap by providing and introduction and overview of Spanish festival culture. The book is in two parts. The first section is an essay explaining the occasions and types of festivals, their structure and their political and representational functions. It explores their organisation and funding, the processions involved, ephemeral decorations and the permanent impact on the urban fabric, the public spectacles and popular forms of entertainment such as bullfights. The second section comprises a selection of 30 texts. These are taken from a wide range of sources including printed festival books, pamphlets, manuscript accounts, letters and excerpts from historical treatises. These texts, many of which are extremely rare, are transcribed and translated.