Un fraile viene a comer. La influencia de san Pedro de Alcántara (1499-1562) entre la aristocracia de la villa y Corte de Madrid

Abstract

This historical research tries to analyze the influence exerted by Saint Peter of Alcantara among the peninsular nobility in the middle of the 16th century. The founder of the province of Saint Joseph of the Discalced Franciscans, ate at the table of many men and women of the aristocracy of Extremadura. At the beginning of the 17th century, when transferred to the Court of Philip III, they accurately remembered those shared meals in their ancestral homes and the devotion professed by their parents, who acted as hosts. In 1616 and 1618, some testified in the cause for his canonization. In them, the image of Saint Peter remained very much alive, the austerity of his life, the poverty of his clothes, the frugality of his meals, the fleeting nature of his sleep. In some cases, the fame of sanctity and miracles of the penitent reached other noble houses in Madrid. In their need, they also entrusted themselves, trusting in his intercession, as they indicated in the testimonial evidence of the canonical investigation.