Poetry competitions usually formed part of the festivities celebrated on the occasion of a religious event, such as beatifications and canonizations. The poems, written in honour of the blessed, were sent previously and read aloud in public events which usually took place in ecclesiastical spaces with the attendance of crowds of people. This paper…[Read more]

The beatification of Saint Teresa of Ávila in October 1614 gave rise to widespread celebrations in many of the cities and towns of the Iberian Peninsula. Printed relaciones describing these celebrations, despite their limitations —in terms of political agenda, propaganda, rivalry and literary style— can nevertheless provide information about musi…[Read more]