Spectacular Wealth: The Festivals of Colonial South American Mining Towns

Colonial South American mining towns, such as Potosí and Ouro Preto (Vila Rica do Ouro Preto), used festivals to display wealth, power, and cultural identity. These events, often glorifying the crown and church, also served as platforms for local communities—including creoles, Indigenous peoples, and people of African descent—to assert their own agendas. While European festivals were well-documented, those in Spanish America were sparse until Lisa Voigt's work, which analyzed texts from Potosí (1608–1716) and Minas Gerais (1733–1749). Findings reveal that festivals featured allegorical performances, mock battles, and literary works, blending self-promotion with subtle contestation. For instance, Potosí's 1622 celebrations included a float depicting the mountain of Potosí, critiquing Basque dominance, while Minas Gerais' festivals emphasized piety and local identity. The study highlights the multiplicity of agendas in these events, challenging simplistic interpretations of colonial power dynamics.

Barragán, R. (2019). Spectacular Wealth: The Festivals of Colonial South American Mining Towns. Hispanic American Historical Review, 99(2), 361–362. https://doi.org/10.1215/00182168-7370401