Valencia’s miraculous prophet: The Inquisition dossier of Catalina Muñoz (1588)

Abstract

Preserved in the archives of the National Historic Archive in Madrid, the life story of Catalina Munoz uncovers the ways in which she, as a triply marginalized subject – black, woman, and slave – obtained power and social clout by capitalizing on the fame she acquired because of her role as spiritual advisor and healer to the Valencian religious community of Sanct Martin Church. This essay positions Catalina as an astute agent and spiritual advisor who navigated with savvy the intricacies of Valencia’s sixteenth-century religious elite. In doing so, the article aims to re-assign and parse Catalina’s agency as a prophet. It is through the caveat of prophecy where Catalina obtains her power and position by capitalizing on the fame – often referred to as ‘escandolo’ [‘scandal’] – she acquired as a spiritual advisor and healer to the Valencian religious communities.