L’écriture des dévotions comme lieu de tensions politiques dans l’Espagne du XVIIe siècle

Abstract

Devotional writing, particularly that which disseminates miracles, accounts of sanctuary foundations and stories of old and new cults, occupies an essential place in modern Spain. In the seventeenth century, such productions continued to progress, and, at the same time, to evolve in their forms and in their objectives: religious literature could then become the site of political confrontation. The struggles around patronage became more and more acute at the end of the century when changing forms reflected shifting tensions, as shown in particular by the controversy between Juan de Vera Tasis – who wrote the Historia del origen, invención y milagros de la sagrada imagen de Na Sa de la Almudena, published in Madrid in 1692 – and Father Agustin Cano – who wrote a response to the former text and published it in 1694 under the title La verdad triunfante. Tratado apologético en defensa de la antigüedad, propriedad y patronato de Na Sa de Atocha in Madrid, contra las novedades que don Juan de vera tassis intenta sin razon introducir en la Historia que ha publicado de la Milagrosa imagen de la Almudena. Various issues came together in this open struggle between patronages, which involved the uses of religious writing, a transfer of sacrality, and political dynamics both local and national, especially as Madrid was the capital. The analysis of this particular case reveals the links between politico-religious issues and the evolution of forms and writing methods, as well as of the status of authors.

Keywords

• Spain
• seventeenth century
• Marian devotion
• devotional writing
• political writing
• patronage conflicts