A difficult balancing act: the visits of Spanish monarchs in early modern Naples (1506-1702)

This essay centers on the royal visits in Naples of Ferdinand the Catholic (1506-7), Charles V (1535-6) and Philip V (1702). The historiography has emphasized the visits' formal aspects, particularly the intricate artistic programs accompanying the royal entry. The focus here, however, is on those untoward aspects, purposefully avoided in the official documentation tensions between individuals or groups, mishaps, ceremonial blunders, conflicts of precedence, etc. The findings of this essay show that although the antagonistic nature of the Neapolitan elites shines through in these occasions, their amount of assertiveness varies according to the political sensitivity of each visit and their perception of the monarch's power and prestige.