The Body Of Christ (“Corpus Christi”): Feast, Devotion and Local/Regional Tourism in Sao Manuel City (Brazil)

3A - Case Studies

The contribution addresses the ceremony of The Body of Christ (“Corpus Christi”) in a town in the interior of Brazil in Sao Paulo State - the city of Sao Manuel, where since the 1940s the celebration mobilizes almost the a significant part of the local population in the task of embellishing the streets covered by the procession. Preparations include choice or defining drawings for walkways and ornamental rugs, arrangements concerning the material, including, in specific cases, the artificial coloring, molding, demarcation of soil, divulgation and logistics support to tourists, cleaning of streets post event and alike. The research and its importance for the religious tourism, includes the history of the date and his origin in the locality referenced, description of geographical, economic and others factors, seeking to clarify the changes in social/religious configuration, especially of the people of Sao Manuel. Bibliographical studies compose the theoretical reference.