In this meticulous study, Devaney uses public spectacles to trace changes in the toleration of religious minorities on the Castilian frontier during the late fifteenth century. Although his overall conclusions do not differ significantly from those of other scholars working in the field, this monograph provides a major methodological contribution to the study of public spectacle, the frontier, and the end of convivencia. The greatest strength of this work is its multidisciplinary approach. Devaney blends insights from various types of sources—royal, local, and private chronicles; archival materials; law codes; town plans; and popular literature among others—to produce a study that illuminates the life and values of the frontier and the deterioration of religious co-existence that went hand in hand with the conquest of the Kingdom of Granada.
In Part I, Devaney reflects on the possibilities and limitations of interpreting medieval spectacles, arguing that an examination of their contexts yields...