Processional liturgy in the urban space of seventh-century Tarragona

A groundbreaking analysis of the Verona Orational, a liturgical text copied in Tarragona in the early eighth century, reveals that processional rituals on Carnes Tollendas Sunday—marking the start of Lent—were deeply intertwined with the city's urban architecture. The study identifies three key locations—Holy Jerusalem, Saint Fructuosus's, and Saint Peter's—and situates these processions within the topographical context of Visigothic Tarragona. By combining textual analysis with architectural evidence, researchers reconstruct the spatial and sonic experience of these ceremonies, demonstrating how they Christianized urban space. The findings also draw parallels between the Verona Orational texts and later preserved chants, offering new insights into the liturgical practices of seventh-century Iberia.

Carrero Santamaría, E., Hornby, E., & Maloy, R. (2023). Processional liturgy in the urban space of seventh-century Tarragona. Journal of Medieval Iberian Studies, 15(2), 240–269. https://doi.org/10.1080/17546559.2023.2214139