Culture and images of Andalusian cities, 13th-17th centuries

Abstract

Mental images of the cities of Andalusia from the 13th through the 17th centuries and their effect on the formation of cultural identities. The following aspects will be studied: topographical locations; material structures; the characterization of inhabitants and their customs; daily life; civic, religious, political and economic practices; ceremonies and festivities. The evolution of all of these elements, which express systems of values, perceptive capabilities, and the diverse ideas of Spanish and foreign observers, the self-consciousness of urban elites and their ideals and aspirations as dominant social groups, the role of the monarchy and the Church, in periods of rise (15th and 16th centuries) as well as those of decline (the 17th century).