Magnificencia urbana y Fiesta Real: Salamanca 1543. Elementos simbólicos en torno a la figura del Príncipe

Abstract

In 1543, Prince Felipe made his second official trip on the occasion of his marriage to Princess María of Portugal. The event was held in Salamanca, converted to a temporary “Real Sitio” from the 13th to the 20th of November of that year. After very complex arrangements, they carried out their respective trips (the Prince coming from Valladolid and the Princess from Lisbon), their solemn entrance into the city and their wedding ceremony. The documentary source used here is the anonymous “relación” in the Biblioteca Nacional, Madrid (Mss. 4.013), in order to focus this time on the study of the symbolic elements used in the ephemeral architectural structures constructed for these events (arches, small temples) promoted by the principal civic institutions: Church, University and Town Council. Their character and significance help create the public image of the Prince.