ABSTRACT
In 1622 Pope Gregory XV canonised the first of the Jesuit saints, Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier, alongside three saints from other religious orders. Though the ceremony and the canonisation theatre placed more of a visual emphasis on Isidore the Labourer, Jesuit colleges throughout the Order’s provinces more than made up for this by producing sumptuous dramas and ephemeral spectacles, the latter of which were often commemorated in printed publications. Many of these celebrations were held in 1622, implying an active campaign on the part of the Jesuit Order and its followers that pre-existed the pope’s last-minute decision to include the Jesuits. The Jesuit College in Pont-à-Mousson presents an interesting case in this larger context in that the celebration was held a year after the fact and was a particularly extravagant affair that included an elaborate procession of over 1,000 costumed students, ornate decorations that modified the architectural fabric of the college, and temporary structures that served as the stage for theatrical performances and pyrotechnic displays. This chapter will discuss this and other examples of the celebrations in France on the occasion of the Jesuit canonisations, highlighting the political and monarchical messages on display alongside the religious, with a special emphasis on the use of ephemeral architecture, theatrical structures, ritual, and procession to transform and manipulate space both within the semi-private space of the college and in the public space of the city.
