COMMUNICATION

The European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation continues with its objective of delving into the figure and time of emperor Charles V in order to make a character and his time known. This was a crucial period in history, when decisions were taken and fundamental changes were brought about, which we need to understand in order to better comprehend today’s Europe. (01/07/2023)

To this end, Campus Yuste schedules the course, “The Culture of Entertainment in the Worlds of Charles V: Social Life, Rituals, Parties, Games and Shows” from 4 to 6 July with the aim of analysing the behaviours and attitudes of the members of the various courts and courtly societies that the monarchy generated, taking an everyday activity, as parties were, into account. Documents related to this subject have been forgotten or not sufficiently addressed by history, although they are very rich examples of thought forms or world outlook. Neither should the input that contributes through literature and art to become acquainted with the courtly worldview with a strong classicist imprint be forgotten.

Royal power generated a varied range of parties, both public and private, in the Europe of the 16^th and 17^th centuries, which in appearance could be considered a mere entertainment destined to provoke the senses of the spectators; but parties were not mere amusement. They were fundamentally an effective means of propaganda and display of the monarchy, which guided the wills of both the courtiers themselves and the people.

The viceregal Courts of America moved the multiple manifestations of the political and festive ritual, musical theatre, masquerades and street processions to their territories. The latter included parades with allegorical carts including dancers and musicians in order to make the figure of the king be present and keep the loyalty to the crown alive, which reveals the way of thinking, behaving and organisation of the viceregal court society to us. In this field, it is also relevant to mention a whole series of games and public shows, where the people indulged in their individual and collective joy and recreation and whose purpose was mere amusement.

This course, which is directed by Rosa María Martínez de Codes and César Chaparro Gómez, professors of the Complutense University of Madrid and the University of Extremadura, respectively, will be held at the Monastery of San Jerónimo de Yuste. Those registered will be able to listen to and participate in the presentations and round tables and share experiences with leading figures from the European academic world. Some of the speakers will be: the member of the Royal Academy of History and professor of Medieval History of the Complutense University, José Manuel Nieto Soria; the academic director of the School of Genealogy, José María de Francisco Olmos; the coordinator of the Scientific Committee of the Routes of Emperor Charles V, Cultural Route of the Council of Europe, Alain Servantie; the emeritus professor of Modern History of the University of Alcalá, Jaime Contreras Contreras; and the member of the Scientific Committee of the Routes of Emperor Charles V, Cultural Route of the Council of Europe, and deputy director of the UF of Foreign Languages and Cultures of the JulesVerne University of Picardie/ Amiens, Ludolf Pelizaeus.

Apart from in person attendance, Campus Yuste also offers the possibility of registering online, thus opening a window to the world with live broadcasting of all its courses via its YouTube channel. People from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, Mexico, Nicaragua and Portugal have registered in the course “The Culture of Entertainment in the Worlds of Charles V: Social Life, Rituals, Parties, Games and Shows”.

This course, which is part of Yuste Foundation’s training programme Campus Yuste, is framed within the University of Extremadura’s International Summer Courses and is sponsored by MAFRESA, counting with the collaboration of the Cooperation Network of the Routes of Emperor Charles V, Route of the Council of Europe, the Regional Government of Extremadura, National Heritage and the Provincial Councils of Cáceres and Badajoz.