Preaching To The Masses: The Visual Presence Of The Dominican Order In Valencia, 1350-1500

By the late fourteenth century, Iberian Dominicans had established convents throughout the Peninsula from which they set forth to fulfill their mission to preach. The friars were particularly active in the region of Valencia, where they were lead by a native Valencian, Vicente Ferrer. Vicente and his fellow friars were a visible presence throughout Iberia and beyond, preaching to prepare believers and unbelievers alike for what they believed was the imminent end of the world. During the early years of the fifteenth century, the frairs' preaching and the texts they published brought the spiritual focus of the Dominican Order out of the convents and into the public eye. These w orks of art brought their words to life and the combination of words and images made the Domincans' message even more effective. This study is a comprehensive analysis of the friars' historical significance that brings historical, textual, and visual evidence together to reveal the ways in which the Dominicans, with Vicente Ferrer leading the way, made themselves and their ideas known in late medieval Valencia