Abstract

GATTA, Massimo. The City as Theater. Leisure, Power, and Social Staging in Mid 19th-Century Durango. Estud. hist. mod. contemp. Mex [online]. 2026, n.71, pp.5-35.  Epub Apr 13, 2026. ISSN 0185-2620.  https://doi.org/10.22201/iih.24485004e.2026.71.78042.

This article analyzes leisure in Durango during the 1830s and 1840s as a form of social control. It argues that these practices, beyond their recreational value, reinforced the order, morality, and authority promoted by the enlightened elite. Drawing on the concept of social theatricalization -understood as a symbolic dynamic between actors and spectators-unpublished primary sources are examined, including civil and ecclesiastical archives, press, regulations, and official correspondence. It contends that spectacle, ritual, and public education contributed to shaping an idealized citizenry, and that regulated leisure operated as a disciplinry tool.

Keywords : Durango; culture; theatricalization; leisure; social control.

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