Between prayers and ballads: the brotherhood of the blind in Valencia (14th–19th centuries)

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.28939/iam.debats-140.12

Keywords:

blindness, disability, prayers, chapbooks, cultural history

Abstract

This article analyzes the evolution of the brotherhood of the blind of the Vera Creu of Valencia, from its foundation in 1329 to its disappearance in the 19th century. The study of its founding ordinances reveals the aims pursued by the blind when they organized themselves into a brotherhood, among which mutual aid stands out. It examines the development of the corporation, focusing on its gradual transformation into an occupational confraternity, which obtained from the secular authorities a monopoly over the recitation of prayers and the sale of cheap prints. These were activities that the blind members of the Vera Creu brotherhood regulated and carried out as guild professions.

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Author Biography

Juan Gomis , Universitat de València

Professor d’Història Moderna a la Universitat de València, la seua trajectòria investigadora s’emmarca en el camp de la història cultural, en la cruïlla on es troben la història del llibre, la història de la cultura popular i la història de la comunicació. En concret, s’ha ocupat dels processos de producció, circulació i lectura de la literatura popular impresa a l’Espanya moderna.

References

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Published

2026-10-07

How to Cite

Journal on culture, politics and society, D. and Gomis , J. (2026) “Between prayers and ballads: the brotherhood of the blind in Valencia (14th–19th centuries)”, Debats. Journal on culture, power and society, 140, pp. 212–227. doi: 10.28939/iam.debats-140.12.

Issue

Vol. 140 (2026): El món de Jaume I i el nostre

Section

MISCELLANEOUS

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