Iconografía de Lepanto. Arte, propaganda y representación simbólica de una monarquía universal y católica

Abstract

For centuries, the Habsburg kings and emperors were defenders of the Catholicreligion and the Church of Rome. The Spanish monarchs belonging to this lineage made thedefence of the Christian faith a fundamental core of their political practice, establishing a pactwith God with a declared objective: legitimate royalty for a Catholic planet. This alliance wouldbe represented as propaganda in the arts in the many painted recreations of the naval battle ofLepanto, showing God, the Virgin and the saints taking part in the combat and deciding itsdestiny. Various paintings from the Court of Philip II reveal the complex dynastic, spiritual andsymbolic keys to a crucial moment for the Hispanic monarchy.