Imprenta y poder en el Siglo de Oro. Relaciones y avisos sobre las fiestas reales entre Palermo y Nápoles

Abstract

Royal celebrations, with their rites and symbolic value, were intended as a strategic tool for the Spanish Crown, in order to strengthen its relations with noble families and the people at large in the peripheries of the Reign. Surviving printed records of celebrations reflect the monarchy’s clear programme to manage local consensus and reinforce the existing social hierarchy. Some aspects of the dynamics of printing press in relation to political power are shown through a specimen account of the printed news issued in two important capital cities of the Spanish territories: Palermo and Naples