A King Travels examines the scripting and performance of festivals in
Spain between 1327 and 1620, offering an unprecedented look at the
different types of festivals that were held in Iberia during this
crucial period of European history. Bridging the gap between the
medieval and early modern eras, Teofilo Ruiz focuses on the travels and
festivities of Philip II, exploring the complex relationship between
power and ceremony, and offering a vibrant portrait of Spain's cultural
and political life.
Ruiz covers a range of festival categories: carnival, royal entries,
tournaments, calendrical and noncalendrical celebrations, autos de fe,
and Corpus Christi processions. He probes the ritual meanings of these
events, paying special attention to the use of colors and symbols, and
to the power relations articulated through these festive displays. Ruiz
argues that the fluid and at times subversive character of medieval
festivals gave way to highly formalized and hierarchical events
reflecting a broader shift in how power was articulated in late medieval
and early modern Spain. Yet Ruiz contends that these festivals, while
they sought to buttress authority and instruct different social orders
about hierarchies of power, also served as sites of contestation,
dialogue, and resistance.
A King Travels sheds new light on Iberian festive traditions and their
unique role in the centralizing state in early modern Castile.
