Festejos por la Tregua de Niza en la Nueva España: La conquista de Rodas y La conquista de Jerusalén (1539)

The Truce of Nice, signed between Charles V and the King of France in May 1538, was celebrated in New Spain months later with festivities that included “Moors and Christians” performances, most notably The Conquest of Rhodes (in Mexico City) and The Conquest of Jerusalem (in Tlaxcala). The themes of these plays, chosen within the context of the new crusade against the Turks, and their staging were demonstrations of power and loyalty to the empire by the Novo-Hispanic elites. However, both the plays and the festivities in which they were featured also reflected the conflicts between the two main figures of the viceroyalty: the conquistador Hernán Cortés and the representative of royal authority, Antonio de Mendoza.