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Medieval Churches On The Spanish Frontier : How Elite Emulation In Architecture Contributed To The Transformation Of A Territorial Expansion Into Reconquista., Kelly L. Watt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the architectural evidence in the ongoing debate surrounding the demographical and political value of the shifting Iberian frontier of the tenth through twelfth centuries. In particular, it seeks to problematize the current generalization of rural stone churches in the central Duero River basin as “repopulation” churches. Using postcolonial theory and comparative analysis, this project argues that the construction of stone churches on sacred sites at the frontier was a useful strategy employed by those seeking to establish authority over existing indigenous and heterogeneous populations. Convincing arguments were needed to not only justify the usurpation of power but …