Obligación y devoción. Fiestas patronales en Navarra en el siglo XVIII

Abstract

This paper is focused on a particular kind of local festivals, the mezetas, in honor of the local patron Saint. First of all, we propose a theoretical approach. In addition to that, there is an explanation of the mezetas’ meaning and its elements. The text underlines the efforts that local authorities made during the Ancien Régime in order to control those festivals, due to the great waste of money and especially because they were a frequent place of quarrels. The text analyzes a particular case that took place in a small village of central Navarre, Javerri, during the mezetas of 1730 as an example of the main features of these celebrations. Our sources are mainly trial records.