Hospitality towards European travellers in Latin America in the colonial middle

Abstract

Hospitality was considered a Christian and humanitarian virtue in the early modern period. This article studies hospitality in eight travel reports by Europeans who travelled Latin America in the colonial middle, i.e. the long seventeenth century. We show that even though an infrastructure of paid lodging had been established, hospitality in private homes continued to be a central form of accommodation. In contrast to early modern Europe, tourism had not yet emerged, despite some travellers’ motives being mainly curiosity. We show how the travellers got to know their hosts, what they expected from them and how they expressed their gratitude. Hospitality could be provided by countrymen but also by complete strangers, the latter sometimes being the last resort for travellers in need. Hospitality was central for travellers rich and poor. Hospitality happened mainly among Europeans. Hospitality without consent, we argue, should no longer be referred to as such.