Entre el duelo y la devoción. Conmemoraciones públicas e identidad regional en la Antioquia del siglo XIX en Colombia

The main objective of this article is to examine how conservative elites in Antioquia utilized civic rituals and public commemorations to legitimize their political power, foster a cohesive regional identity, and challenge the dominant centralist and liberal narratives during the second half of the nineteenth century. This analysis aims to shed light on the role of cultural and symbolic practices in state formation in Latin America, particularly in Colombia. The article adopts a qualitative and interdisciplinary approach to explore significant events, such as the funeral of Pedro Justo Berrío and the time capsule from Medellín’s bicentennial in 1875. Analyzing primary sources, including poetry, funeral orations, obituaries, periodicals, and archival documents, reveals how these acts reinforced the cohesion of an imagined political community, a sense of belonging grounded in tradition, religion, and authority.