Algunos fundamentos históricos del culto a San Sebastián en Tafalla

Abstract

Throughout XIVth and XVth centuries, pest spread widely all across Europe and drastically reduced population. It became a constant reason of frighten and concern, modifying European state of mind concerning life and death concept. Pest spread was seen by contemporaneous society as the God’s damn to human sin. Therefore, it was considered that the best way to placate divine anger was correcting moral costumes and on the other hand, begging for saints’ or Marian protection and intercession, to recover God’s grace. Saint Sebastian was considered as a pest defensor because he was thought to have made some miracles. One of them took place in the town of Tafalla, which became the destination of lots of peregrinations and others pious representations...