Church and State in Spanish Italy: Rituals and Legitimacy in the Kingdom of Naples

By Celine Dauverd

Book Overview

In this study C line Dauverd analyses the link between early modern imperialism and religion via the principle of 'good government'. She charts how the Spanish viceroys of southern Italy aimed to secure a new political order through their participation in religious processions, alliance-building with minority groups, and involvement in local charities. The viceroys' good government included diplomacy, compromise, and pragmatism, as well as a high degree of Christian ethics and morality, made manifest in their rapport with rituals. Spanish viceroys were not so much idealistic social reformers as they were legal pragmatists, committed to a political vision that ensured the longevity of the Spanish empire. The viceroys resolved the tension between Christian ideals and Spanish imperialism by building religious ties with the local community. Bringing a new approach to Euro-Mediterranean history, Dauverd shows how the viceroys secured a new political order, and re-evaluates Spain's contributions to the early modern European world.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1108489850
• ISBN13: 9781108489850
• Release Date: April 2020
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 310 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.4" x 9.1"