Ciudades, misiones y misioneros jesuitas en la España del siglo XVIII

Resumen

This article deals with one aspect of the Spanish religiosity of XVIII century: popular missions. The fundamental aim of these missionaries was to induce their listeners to change their lives and convert them to a christian life. This phenomenon did not take place exclusively in Spain but here it acquired its own characteristics. Throughout this article it is going to be studied the role that Jesuits played within these missions. Wards conveyed from churches and pulpits became powerful. That is why XVITI century Castilla and Aragon are essential elements of study in this article, as well as two cities which will become examples of what it is being said. The first one is the Valencian city of Játiva, the one which put up against the army sent by Phillip V and was destroyed and set on fire by both French and Spanish troops. Some years later, in 1712, Jesuits came to convert this "damned city". The second example in Valladolid, which in 1748 suffered from a deep decadence in spite of its streets being full of convents and of its houses full of people of great variety. Also in Valladolid the most important missionary of the century arrived, Father Pedro Calatayud.