Laus soteropolitana: Sitio y Empresa o el elogio pictórico a la ciudad de Salvador

Abstract

[EN] This study examines the painting Sitio y empresa de Salvador de Bahía as a pivotal alternative narrative to the official iconography surrounding the 1625 recovery of Salvador de Bahía. Contrasting with Juan Bautista Maíno’s official work for the Salón de Reinos, which emphasized the clemency of King Philip IV and the influence of the Count-Duke of Olivares, Sitio y empresa reclaims the military protagonism and honor of Admiral Fadrique de Toledo. By adopting a novel land-based perspective that breaks with traditional maritime views, the canvas offers a highly precise and idealized corography of the city. The analysis explores how the painting functions on three distinct levels: historical, that is, as a chronological "true relation" of the siege's events; idealized, that is as a subjective fabrication that utilizes "microlaudes" and perspective techniques to project the image of an ideal city; and finally, symbolic, that is, as a laudatio urbis (praise of the city) centered on the concept of loyalty to the Crown. Ultimately, the sources reveal how this private commission sought to restore the reputation of Fadrique de Toledo and elevate the strategic and cultural status of Salvador de Bahía within the complex political framework of the Hispanic Monarchy.