Kissing, Complaining, and Handing Over Keys: Castile and its Royal Entries at the End of the Middle Ages

Abstract

This paper demonstrates that, even though late-medieval ceremonial entries in Castile shared many elements with other European festivities, some of their features were closely linked to local traditions and reveal the changes the Castilian state was undergoing at the dawn of the Early Modern Period. The first section analyses the role of the ritual kiss, focusing on the ceremonial entries of Princess Margaret of Austria. The second part shifts its attention towards the role played by city councils and the messages of discontent they manifested during the organisation of these ceremonies. The third part deals with the clash of royal and aristocratic ideals through a study of the ceremonial handover of keys at the city gates that the Monarchy employed to stage its victories over the local aristocracy.