Devoción y promoción personal en el reino de Guatemala: relación individual de las fiestas con que se celebró la dedicación del suntuosísimo templo del Calvario de Esquipulas (1759)

Abstract

The topic of personal promotion occurring in festive rela-tionships is a rich one, as it can manifest itself in many ways. The classic form is the typical personal exaltation of the status, wealth and the loyal-ty to the crown of prominent individuals that are directly involved in the organization and carrying out of the celebration. The book Relación in-dividual de las fiestas, con que se celebró la dedicación del suntuosísimo templo del Calvario de Esquipulas (1759) by Alonso de Arcos y Moreno is an unusual case because the author himself was the president of the Guatemalan audience. This circumstance, coupled with the pose of false modesty, prevented him from elaborating an ode to himself in the body of the text, so that role was assumed by the authors of the paratexts. This reversal of the functions of the texts that make up the volume made it possible to elaborate a well-designed project to promote an association in the popular imagination of the figure of the president with the object of greatest religious devotion in the kingdom of Guatemala.

Keywords

• baroque festivals
• consecration of churches
• christ of es-quipulas
• kingdom of guatemala
• central american literature