⟪Saint opinion⟫ in the Genealogias del Nuevo Reino de Granada (1674). Notes for Undestanding the Identity construction of the Santafé elite in the 17th Century

Conventual and hagiographical literature have traditionally been recognized as fundamental sources for understanding the religious life and mentalities of societies. However, other texts offer valuable complementary perspectives on this religious cosmos. In Genealog & iacute;as del Nuevo Reino de Granada (1674) written by Juan Fl & oacute;rez de Oc & aacute;riz, we argue that the concept of "saint opinion" embodied a convergence of collective interests in the construction of sainthood, revealing the underlying tensions between institutional authorities and public sentiment regarding the religiosity of a particular territory. This narrative of spiritual life records at least thirty individuals who died with this reputation, a key element in the identity of the elite within this region, during a period when they aspired to parallel the metropolitan center in every aspect.