Secular spirituality in Cuenca at the beginning of the eighteenth century. The case of Martina Catalina de Barzallo

The essay examines the legal actions undertaken by a nun in Cuenca at the beginning of the eighteenth century, who sought to retum to a secular life and to renounce her vows. This case study allows us to explore the baroque mentality, the cultural construction of the body, and the agency of women. Working from available evidence from the trial, the article suggests that Martina Catalina of Barzallo vindicated a retum to a secular life and the rejection of monastic coercive practices.