Movement, Rituality and Spatial Configuration. The Lord of Miracles in Barcelona

Abstract

The procession of the Lord of Miracles is a massive religious manifestation originally from Peru, that has taken place during October in several cities around the world. The aim of this article is to analyze the relationship between this ritual manifestation (for the case of Barcelona) and the spatial reconfiguration that it involves, focusing specifically on the practice of dance. As a main methodological strategy, we use ethnography focused on the procession that took place in Barcelona (Spain) for the years of 2016, 2017 and 2018. Additionally, we conducted in-depth interviews with key informants, focus groups and we searched for documentary and historical information. Throughout the article, we show that the procession of the Lord of Miracles and the spatial reconfiguration that it entails are co-produced ritual phenomena. The procession would operate, consequently, as a mobile micro-landscape ritual, along with the ritualized manifestation of cultural differences and tensions.