Art, Craftsmanship, and Urban Space as Instruments of Identity Reinforcement and Tourist Attraction: The Crosses of May Festival in Contemporary Granada

From an anthropological perspective, festivals have been conceptualized as a total social phenomenon, insofar as they encapsulate the political, economic, religious, artistic, and other dynamics that shape a community. Moreover, they are particularly characterized by the processes of dynamism, adaptation, and cultural transformation inherent in many forms of cultural heritage, making them an especially suitable framework for scholarly analysis. The Crosses of May Festival in Granada provides an illustrative example of how art, craftsmanship, and urban space interact and converge to reinforce local identity while simultaneously creating a high-value tourism product. The incorporation of artistic works and a wide range of traditional crafts into the design and decoration of the crosses—including textile production and embroidery, copperwork, fajalauza ceramics, and taracea (marquetry)—may contribute to the preservation and development of these crafts. However, this process also entails certain risks that, from a heritage perspective, may ultimately produce effects contrary to those intended for their safeguarding and promotion.