Semana Santa Procesiones en Colombia

A look at Catholic symbolism, anthropology, and allegory in the Holy Week processions of Popayán, Colombia, Including the history of such events in medieval and renaissance Spain. By exploring the use of statues, flowers, colors, and music with their symbolic (and allegoric) meanings, I document a religious expression that dominates within an otherwise Patriarchal and Commercial festival. (Available as an online or in-person lecture).

Villancicos are a genre of music often translated into English as a “carol,” thus implying Christmas music. Indeed the villancico genre is much more than Christmas music. In this lecture we will explore the more than 400 villancicos found in the archive of the Catedral Basilica Metropolitana y Primada (Imaculate Concepción) de Bogotá, Nueva Granada (Colombia) — music, which is very different from that of the villancicos of Mexico, Nueva España. (Available as an online or inperson lecture).

The Archbishop’s palace in Santiago de Compostela, Spain has a marvelous banquet room with the portals hosting carvings of people and scenes related to “eating.” Together with illustrations from the marvelously illuminated manuscripts of the 13th century Las Cantigas de Santa Maria it is possible to present a conception of late medieval Spanish foods, commercial sharing of food products, music instruments involved with banquets, and, of course, the Bishop and his entourage. (Available as an online or in-person lecture).