Triumphal Entries Research Articles

Giovanna Guidicini, Triumphal Entries and Festivals in Early Modern Scotland: Performing Spaces

Giovanna Guidicini, <i>Triumphal Entries and Festivals in Early Modern Scotland: Performing Spaces</i>

New Books across the Disciplines

New Books across the Disciplines

On Meaning and Function of the Painting Apparition of the Sibyl to Emperor Augustus by Paris Bordone

This paper reconsiders the meaning and function of the painting The Apparition of the Sibyl to Emperor Augustus by Paris Bordone by examining its subject in the light of the medieval interpretations of Tiburtine Sibyl’s prophecy to Octavian Augustus. These interpretations expressed in an array of texts, have been molded by the world view at the beginning of the 16th century into an eschatologicaly endowed concept of the Last Emperor, a spiritual and political leader, who, like Emperor Augustus, stands at the turn of the era, and is supposed to prepare mankind for the end of the world. This concept influenced the political ideology of the time in that European sovereigns were identified with the Last Emperor. Among them Emperor Charles V Habsburg stands out, who was addressed by his contemporaries both as New Augustus, and as the Last Emperor, especially after his victory over the Protestants at Mühlberg. The striking visual affinity between the architectural setting of the painting and the decorations of Charles V’s triumphal entries, the multiple historical connections between Charles V, the city of Augsburg, and Paris Bordone’s career support the hypothesis, that the painting is an allegorical representation of Charles V as New Augustus, and the Last Emperor, and was commissioned in Augsburg to celebrate his triumphal arrival to the 1548 Imperial Diet of Augsburg.

Christ on a Donkey: Palm Sunday, Triumphal Entries, and Blasphemous Pageants. By Max Harris. Leeds: ARC Humanities Press, 2019. xiii + 277 pp. $124.00 cloth.

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Performing the King Divine: The Early Modern Spanish Aulic Festival by Lucas A. Marchante Aragón

Reviewed by: Performing the King Divine: The Early Modern Spanish Aulic Festival by Lucas A. Marchante Aragón Alejandra B. Osorio Lucas A. Marchante Aragón. Performing the King Divine: The Early Modern Spanish Aulic Festival. EDITION REICHENBERGER, 2017. 300 PP. THE STUDY OF EARLY MODERN COURTLY CEREMONIES has experienced a significant surge in the last decade or so, revealing their centrality in the public and political cultures of Europe and its empires. These studies have, among other things, identified early modern courts as centers of great artistic production that enriched material and cultural life, while also enhancing the power of their monarchs or princes. Monarchs and nobles often commissioned artistic works from painters, architects, and musicians—as well as writers, historians, poets, and philosophers—for inclusion in courtly plays and ceremonies. As these events conveyed the patrons’ habits, tastes, and worldviews, they shaped early modern societies, delineating the hierarchies that ordered them and those of the more private sphere of the court. The production and staging of royal triumphal entries, masques, ludic games, and plays employed all the arts available to rulers to exercise their authority and instruct wider audiences on the workings of social and political power. In the specific case of court theater, new techniques combining music, dance, architecture, perspective scenery, and sophisticated stage machinery enhanced written texts, producing great works of “magical illusion at the service of the exaltation of the monarch” (6). Performing the King Divine examines these various techniques in Spanish court theater, not just as printed literature but also as dramatic texts that came to life through a “net of communicative strategies, verbal and otherwise, that formed part of the [overall] spectacle” (8). Moving chronologically, Marchante Aragón examines transformations in court theater from the late Middle Ages, during which it conveyed the king’s physical proximity to the divine, to the end of the seventeenth century, when it presented the Spanish Habsburg king Charles II as himself a divine being. In examining this process, the author draws from speech act theory the notion of the “performative utterance.” This approach informs the title of the book, Performing the King Divine; in other words, onstage performances of kingship produced monarchical divinity. [End Page 165] One characteristic of early modern court theater that made these transformations possible was the inclusion of the patron in the audience as part of the spectacle, dissolving the boundaries between the “real” and the “performed” worlds. Such blurring of boundaries conveyed to audiences the special link between the worldly and the divine, as found, for example, in the court dramas created at the turn of the sixteenth century by Juan del Encina and Gil Vicente. Such associations worked within a larger courtly ceremonial language derived both from political thought and from ritual performances aimed at legitimating kingly rule. Under the reign of Charles I (1516–56), as part of the claim to the imperial title that in 1519 made him Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, Habsburg dynastic language came into use in Spanish court theater. According to Marchante Aragón, this language was founded on “fabulous genealogical arguments” (87–95) entrusting the Spanish Habsburg with the “providential mission of restoring the earthly Paradise represented with images of the classical Golden Age” (10). These genealogies connected the emperor with Jesus Christ via the Roman emperors, gods of antiquity, and priest-kings of the Old Testament the Habsburg claimed as their ancestors, ultimately transforming him into the ruler best positioned to bring back the Golden Age. Charles V’s divine descent and genealogical rights along with his inherited virtues were made explicit in plays by means of the use of mythological imagery. Habsburg genealogies and mythological imagery were imbued in larger fields of meaning. The salón de saraos, the theatrical space built circa 1605 in the royal palace in Valladolid, was designed in such a way that its decorative and architectural programs were essential components of the “performative text” (105). The building itself was part of a dynamic creation of meaning, as for Marchante Aragón, this space was intended “to create and fix the memory of a divinely ordained imperial dynasty by displaying a series of symbols in its architecture...

Max Harris, Christ on a Donkey: Palm Sunday, Triumphal Entries, and Blasphemous Pageants, Early Social Performance

Max Harris, <i>Christ on a Donkey: Palm Sunday, Triumphal Entries, and Blasphemous Pageants, Early Social Performance</i>

Delimitation of Diplomatic Spaces: Jurisdictional Conflicts and Triumphal Entries in Spanish Milan of the Counter-Reformation

The figure of Juan Fernandez de Velasco, Duke of Frias (1550-1613), governor of Milan, the representative of the Spanish crown in Lombardy, questions the link between diplomatic office and cultural development in Milan, in the bellicose era of the Counter-Reformation. His involvement in judicial disputes with both local civil and ecclesiastical Borromean institutions, his role in the organization of festivities for the wedding of Margaret of Austria in 1598, and his regulation of the conditions of theatrical performances raise the issue of what relationship such a diplomatic agent entertains with central power within this endogenous context. Far from being a stricto sensu ambassador, as he is the de facto ruler of Milan, the governor is not least the organizer of the intermediate places, those specific to ambassadors: the street, the square, the theatre, the masquerades and he thus constructs, composes and frames the meaning of such a political urban geography.

The reading of triumphal entries’ emblems: emblems as footnotes

Triumphal entries of the 16th and 17th centuries were composed of triumphal processions incorporating grand ephemeral monuments. At the bottom of these at eye level it was common to find emblems. While the form and nature of the triumphal procession, by moving from one monument to the next along the assigned route, produced a ‘progressive viewing experience’, the emblems, in stark contrast, compelled the viewer to take a pause in order to decode their meaning, a process that involved careful analysis and reflection. The use of emblems seems thus to represent a distinct interest and disposition, which appears to contradict the dynamic nature of the triumphal procession. This article explores the use of emblems by considering them as ‘visual footnotes’, hallmarks of scholars and literati. Consistent with early modern textual and literary practice, the analysis of the emblems in relation to the pageant as a whole, and especially of the ephemeral artistic monuments, allows the identification of the humanistic ‘universal’ discourse to emerge from the local and civic ad-hoc arguments. In addition, similarly to modern academic footnotes, they were addressed and aimed to benefit the ‘reading’ procedure by exposing the sources, justifications and enhancement of what was established by the main imagery, albeit directed at a selected few — the literati.

Twelve Caesars’ Representations from Titian to the End of 17th Century: Military Triumph Images of the Spanish monarchy

This paper analyses the modern reinterpretation and the dissemination mechanisms of Titian’s series of Twelve Caesars’, from their arrival at the old Alcázar of Madrid to the end of 17th century. Firstly, those Twelve Caesars’ representations that decorated palaces of the Spanish Monarchy, as well as the use of this iconography as a means of glorification of the Habsburg Emperors’ triumphal entries are analyzed. Then, this collecting practices and the taste of the Spanish monarchs for the representations of Twelve Caesars’ would be emulated by the Spanish nobility of the time. The paper identifies representations of the Twelve Caesars in the inventories of contemporary art collections of the Spanish nobility and provides new documentary evidences relating to commissions of such series, as proofs of the remarkable diffusion reached by this classical Emperor’s images, which were transformed during the Spanish Golden Age into representation of the modern warrior.

Municipal Perspective, Royal Expectations, and the Use of Public Space: The Case of the West Port, Edinburgh, 1503–1633

Scottish triumphal entries were regularly staged in Edinburgh between 1503 and 1633, representing the constant renegotiation of the relationship between ruler and municipal authorities. The evolution of this relationship was publicly staged in the public spaces and streets of the city during triumphal entries. This piece will discuss the significance of particular buildings as urban landmarks representing the values of the bourgeois community, in particular of the West Port. An unusual and challenging use of urban space by Queen Mary Stuart in 1561 represented an attempt to tip the balance of power between royal and urban authority in the sovereigns' favour. The straightforward opposition of the municipal authorities to such a defiant act, and the measures adopted to counterbalance it, emphasise the general awareness of the importance of controlling urban spaces to proclaim absolute power or to defend traditional independence.

Las entradas triunfales y la vida cotidiana en Gante en la época de Carlos V

Nuestro texto se interesa en la presentación de un momento destacado de la historia de España: el período imperial de Carlos V, personaje que permite enlazar diversos destinos en un momento dado del siglo XVI: Flandes, Borgoña, España y naturalmente América. Sin embargo, hemos querido situar al emperador en su ciudad natal, Gante, presentando especialmente ceremonias como las entradas triunfales, fundamentales para la génesis del Estado Moderno y que nos ayudan a conocer la vida cotidiana a inicios del siglo XVI y sobre todo comprender la importancia que han tenido Flandes y Borgoña en Europa y en el continente americano.

Construction et représentation de la mémoire collective dans les entrées triomphales au XVIe siècle

In sixteenth-century France, the triumphal entry was closely tied to the notion of collective memory. This article defines the concept of collective memory as it is articulated in sixteenth-century texts, retraces the history of the relationship between this notion and the triumphal entry, and, in analyzing several texts tied to entry ceremonies, explores how such texts address triumphal entries’ role in the production of collective memory—as opposed to its preservation, which is the typical focus in discussions of the relationship between collective memory and historiographical or poetic works during this period.

Dances for the Royal Festivities in Madrid in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries

The literature, visual arts and music of Early Modern Spain all testify to the importance of dance across all spectrums of society in a variety of religious and secular occasions. Spanish dance and musical forms have also made their contribution to European dance history, as is well known. Nevertheless, little scholarly attention has been paid to dance in Golden Age Spain, with the notable exception of Lynn Matluck Brooks’ works. Thanks to her and other researchers, the dances organised for the annual Corpus Christi festivities are the best known area of Spanish dance history. Secular festivals were also enlivened by dancing, although these have been much less investigated. This article will concentrate on the dances performed during some of the most opulent of secular festivities, the triumphal entries in Madrid, as it has been in the course of research on them that I have come across archival sources unpublished and unstudied till now. They show how the dances for royal festivities closely followed the dominant model of the Corpus Christi festivities, with a similar broad spectrum of themes and forms including dramatic and pantomime elements. During the course of the seventeenth century, however, the main contributors of the dances shifted from the guilds to the villages, with a corresponding standardisation of the subjects for dances. This was paralleled by – and linked to – a growing marginalisation of both dancers and dances in the secular festivities.

Pageantry and the projection of status. The triumphal entries of Catherine of Austria (1585) and Christine of France (1620) in Turin

In an attempt to bring to light the complex, multi-layered nature of earlymodern pageantry, the article explores two occasions of dynastic celebration within the Italian house of Savoy – the weddings of Carlo Emanuele I with Catherine of Austria in 1585, and of prince Vittorio Amedeo with Christine of France in 1619 – in terms of the possibilities they offered for the construction and projection of status. In order to examine to what extent these two wedding festivities provided not only the ducal house but also other social actors with spaces for representation, the analysis takes into consideration genealogical imagery in connection with the precise political context of the dynastic events, as well as the involvement of the municipal council of Turin in both the production and recording of the fête.

Jesus' Entry into Jerusalem: In the Context of Lukan Theology and the Politics of His Day

Taking into account the backgrounds of Graeco-Roman and Jewish 'triumphal entries', this volume deals with the Lukan version of Jesus' entry to Jerusalem and his subsequent 'cleaning' of its Temple. It is argued that Luke's account has been shaped by identifiable political and theological considerations, including the phenomenon of parousia and the place of Israel in the plan of God. Early chapters explore Luke's political milieu together with various entry phenomena from the ancient world, including the advent of governors, emperors and Jewish kings; a close examination of the Lukan text and context follow. This study breaks new ground in contributing to our understanding of how specific contemporary political issues and theological concerns led to the shaping of Luke 19:28-48 and context.

Musical Participation in Sixteenth-Century Triumphal Entries in the Low Countries

Musical Participation in Sixteenth-Century Triumphal Entries in the Low Countries

The Royal Tour of France by Charles IX and Catherine de'Medici: Festivals and Entries, 1564-6. Victor E. Graham , W. McAllister JohnsonItalian Civic Pageantry in the High Renaissance: A Descriptive Bibliography of Triumphal Entries and Selected Other Festivals for State Occasions. Bonner Mitchell

<i>The Royal Tour of France by Charles IX and Catherine de'Medici: Festivals and Entries, 1564-6</i>. Victor E. Graham , W. McAllister Johnson<i>Italian Civic Pageantry in the High Renaissance: A Descriptive Bibliography of Triumphal Entries and Selected Other Festivals for State Occasions</i>. Bonner Mitchell

Bonner Mitchell. Italian Civic Pageantry in the High Renaissance: A Descriptive Bibliography of Triumphal Entries and Selected Other Festivals for State Occasions. (Biblioteca di Bibliografia Italiana, 89.) Florence: Leo S. Olschki Editore, 1979. 188 pp. L. 15,000.

Bonner Mitchell. Italian Civic Pageantry in the High Renaissance: A Descriptive Bibliography of Triumphal Entries and Selected Other Festivals for State Occasions. (Biblioteca di Bibliografia Italiana, 89.) Florence: Leo S. Olschki Editore, 1979. 188 pp. L. 15,000.

Some Pictorial Aspects of Early Mountebank Stages

The commedia dell'arte had no theatre of its own. When the commedia took form in the second half of the sixteenth century, the itinerant actors found themselves in the midst of intense theatrical activity, and readily appropriated available stages as a background for their buffoonery. In public squares, at fairs, festivals, and other gathering places, mountebanks attracted crowds to their platforms by songs interspersed with dialogue, trickery, and acrobatic stunts. In palatial halls of wealthy dukes, guests assembled to witness spectacular shows with expensive settings and intricate mechanical devices. With these opportunities before them, the comedians soon began to appear with the charlatans, and to come under the patronage of influential dukes. The players were invited to participate at wedding festivities, triumphal entries, sumptuous banquets, in the courts of kings, and in the splendor of royal palaces. Again the same troupe might also be found on a crude platform in the Square of San Marco, at a fiesta in Florence, or along a travelled roadside. The comic Arlecchino, dressed in patchwork, the pedantic Dottore, with his academic gown, the braggart Capitano, with his long rapier, and the foolish old Pantalone, with his long flowing gown, performed for king and artisan in London, Paris, Madrid, Brussels, or Ferrara.