Festivals of Tourist Interest
SAN SEBASTIÁN (Madridejos)
Festival of Regional Tourist Interest
Date: 20 January
Patron saint of the town of Madridejos Saint who is venerated as an advocate against plagues. Saint Sebastian was a Roman military man who resisted death when he was tortured by “asaeteamiento”, i.e. he was tied to an orange tree and shot with arrows.
Popular tradition places the origin of San Sebastián as Patron Saint of Madridejos in the 16th century. The day before, the people of Madrid prayed to him during a wave of plague. organises a bonfire and the traditional Toros de Fuego (declared a traditional local festival by the Provincial Delegation of the Junta in Toledo in 2011)
That same night the traditional cucaña is set up where the young people show their ability toclimbing and achieving his achievement: oranges, which are placed in commemoration of the orange tree where he was the saint has been assaulted On the 20th, the Procession with civilian and military corps takes place and since decades some army units are invited to join in the parade. Since 2008 the A.C. Tercio de San Sebastián has been constituted to reinforce, preserve and promote the maintenance of the military tradition of the local fiesta and is responsible, together with the Ilmo. Madridejos Town Council of the organisation of the procession and parades in honour of the Saint.
LOS MORRACHES (Malpica de Tajo)
The Morraches are characters who wear a jumpsuit, topped with a hood and ponytail, in red, green and yellow, alternately and randomly combined in pairs and adorned with hearts of the other colour, complemented with zumbas, cowbells, gandarros or esquilillas, which are tied at the back of the waist with belts, girths or ropes. They also hide their faces with masks, usually with terrifying motifs or characters.
From the 6th of January, they go to the hermitage at dusk to pray to Saint Sebastian and during the central days of the festivities they go through the streets “scaring” their neighbours and simulating his voice and figure so as not to be recognised.
There are two theories about the origin of these characters: One is that the roots of this celebration are related to nature and the belief that there were certain genies of the forest that, with their magic, influenced the growth of crops. The second theory is that they were peddling harlequin characters who, in medieval times, traveled through the villages. In order to get the peasants to give them money, they would perform funny pirouettes, always ending up falling on the ground, to the laughter of the audience.
FIESTA DE LA VACA (San Pablo de los Montes)
The Feast of the Cow commemorates the conversion of St. Paul, patron saint of the town. In it, it will be
various events are held, mixing religious and secular character. In this original fiesta, the “quintos”, dressed in typical attire, “run” the outsiders, holding them by the arms and pricking them with the “vaca” (a pair of cow horns attached to a stick or pole and decorated with ribbons and flowers) simulating that the outsider is gored by a cow while the “quintos” ring the cowbells incessantly around them, forming a great commotion. When they arrive at the town hall, they invite him to tostones and lemonade and repeat the operation with another stranger or neighbor.
GASTRONOMIC RITUAL DAYS OF THE SLAUGHTER (Los Navalucillos)
The tradition and festivities that have been generated around the slaughter come from the Middle Ages, a social event that has been transformed over the years and today is a reason for twinning of family and friends. In rural areas, the slaughter of these animals was the solution to supply the family larder and constituted a very important source of resources for the domestic economy.
Currently the pig slaughter is a tradition with part of folklore and celebration, in which family and friends gather around a table, to toast for everything that represents the moment and to a large extent, to maintain this traditional festival.
When the winter cold and frost arrived is when the slaughtering was traditionally planned, since it was the right time for curing the chorizos, bacon, hams, etc., since slaughtering on cold winter dates ensures good conditions for the meat.
However, the Jornadas rito gastronómicas de la matanza de Los Navalucillos takes place around 25 January each year, preceded by the celebration of the festivities of San Antón and San Sebastián, patron saint of the municipality, during which a series of festive events take place in the town. After the feast of San Sebastián (20 January), these days are held on the Saturday immediately following, hence the date of the Slaughter is variable.
The City Council of Los Navalucillos, started in 2005, a project with great enthusiasm, consisting of the recovery of this endearing tradition of the Slaughter. This project materialized in the celebration of the Jornadas Rito Gastronómicas de la Matanza, which was exceptionally well received by the people of the village as well as by visitors. Each year La Matanza has continued to be celebrated with the same impetus as the first edition, with more and more visitors and tourists, becoming La Matanza de Los Navalucillos, a reference in the region.
An initiative to worship a popular custom deeply rooted in the villages of the Montes de Toledo. The Navalucillense Plaza del Encinar gathers, every January, the spirit of this live demonstration of all the tasks that are carried out in a popular slaughter, with the invaluable collaboration of neighbors and municipal associations that serve as slaughterers and stew cooks.
Men and women, dressed in typical costumes, participate in unison in all the tasks such as the “estrazado” of the pig, the “masado”, “guiso” and “embuchado”, which through various demonstrations all visitors can remember again, or in the case of the youngest or urban tourists, discover for the first time.
The craft market, which is set up in the Plaza del Encinar, offers a selection of local and regional products offered by companies from the town and from all over Spain, with a wide variety of sausages, honey, sweets, olive oil, cheese and craft products, among others.
The soul of this festival is its events, created in such a way that they combine interest and tradition, recovering old traditions and even serving as a catalyst for the recovery of a custom that is a hallmark of identity in the region.
RELIGIOUS CARNIVAL OF ANIMAS (Valdeverdeja)
The Carnival of Valdeverdeja or Carnestolendas Verdejas is currently celebrated during the three days before Ash Wednesday. It begins on Sunday, although preparations begin months before with the formation of the children’s and adults’ Cheer Squads and the rehearsal of the Soldadesca dance.
On Carnival Sunday the Escuadra de Ánimas, with the pairs of Animeros who are going to take part in the Soldadesca Dance, gather in the town’s Plaza Mayor with the civil and religious authorities to go to the parish church.
The Escuadra is composed of the Tamborilero who leads the procession playing redobles; the Abanderado who performs the games with the flag and the Animeros and Animeras who will be in charge of performing the dance called “TO TO TÓN” later on.
After lunch, the “correr del gallo” takes place, which is one of the most exciting moments of the fiesta with the participation of many young men on horseback. In the afternoon, the official presentation of the Encuentro takes place with the performance of the different participating cuadrillas.
FIESTA OF ANIMAS AND CARNIVAL (Villafranca de los Caballeros)
Festival of Regional Tourist Interest
Date: Weekend before Ash Wednesday
Every year Villafranca de los Caballeros celebrates a colourful Carnival, full of joy, music and choreographies carefully prepared by the comparsas and associations. However, this traditional festivity of Villafranca de los Caballeros is linked to the Fiesta de Ánimas Benditas and
Mayordomías, a fact that gives character and personality to this very popular festivity in Villafranca.
All this, together with the participation of hundreds of people who are encouraged to collaborate in this tradition, make the Carnival of Villafranca a unique and incomparable festival, designed for the enjoyment of young and old from all parts of the region.
JOTA PUJADA (Miguel Esteban)
Festival of Regional Tourist Interest
Date: Carnival
It is one of the most deeply rooted and peculiar traditions of Miguel Esteban. It is celebrated in the middle of Carnival, making this festival unique in the world. With more than three centuries of antiquity, the Fiesta de la Jota Pujada is one of the main exponents of the cultural and festive heritage of Miguelete, and one of the tourist attractions of the municipality as more and more people come to witness this tradition.
As was the case more than 300 years ago, the migueletes compete for the privilege of dancing in the center of a “corro” the so-called Jota “migueleta” which is performed by the Municipal Band.
The captains, one of the most emblematic figures of this festival, are in charge of opening the circle that forms under the feet of the statue of the Vendimiadora, in the arches of the entrance of the Municipal Park ‘Nuestra Señora del Socorro’. They move the flag to the rhythm of the music and are the first to dance the jota. After that, they pass the baton to the different couples that are bidding for it. The ‘animero’, another important figure in this festival, is in charge of controlling and directing the bidding.
The jota pujada is a jota from La Mancha that is repeated as long as there is someone who pushes. It is characterized by its possible and continuous interruption, due to the fact that the bidders must make the respective bids before the couples who are already dancing verify the “cambio de paso”, otherwise they cannot bid until they have finished interpreting the jota and the performing couples complete the dance. Depending on the amount of money contributed, the jota migueleta is danced, which has a calmer rhythm, or the so-called ‘jota campesina’, which is much faster and livelier.
In the parish archives there is a document from 1751 in which mention was already made of this celebration.
This festival of the Jota Pujada, the hallmark of this municipality, was declared a Festival of Regional Tourist Interest on December 27, 2023.
CHRONICLES OF KING DON PEDRO (Torrijos)
Festival of Regional Tourist Interest
Date: March
https://www.torrijos.es/turismo/cronicas-del-rey-don-pedro.htmlBetween the middle and end of March in the municipality of Torrijos. The Chronicles of King Don Pedro which represent a Medieval Days in which a historical recreation of the festivities organised by the king Don Pedro I of Castile in 1353 in Torrijos on the occasion of the birth of his daughter, the Infanta Beatriz, ascertained through the texts of the King’s Chancellor, Pedro López de Ayala.
The days combine different dramatizations, parades, games, workshops, archery and sword demonstrations, medieval stalls, correfoc (fireworks display), etc., where the members of the many associations of the town and the Torrijeños themselves take the reins of the days and show that they are the soul of this project. Children play an important role in these celebrations, celebrating beforehand their Little Chronicle.
Among the different celebrations that take place, the recreation of several historical passages of the life of Pedro I stands out. Torrijos is historically linked to the figure of the king, as the celebration of the festivities organized on the occasion of the birth of his firstborn, the Infanta Beatriz, the central theme of the event, will take place in the town.
At the same time, there are a series of secondary activities that serve to give cohesion to the main events, so that attendees can live and even be part of both everyday life in the second half of the fourteenth century, as well as the sumptuous events that the common people could live punctually.
During the days that these chronicles are celebrated, visitors can enjoy the theatrical staging of the following historical events, filling the streets and squares of this town with medieval color:
- The entrance of Don Pedro and his Court in the town of Torrijos.
- The welcome of the people, his wife and daughter.
- The generosity of the monarch towards the people of Torrijos.
- Festivities and banquets.
- Welcome dinner and/or popular meals.
- Trials, jousting and tournaments.
- The wound suffered by the king, the delirium caused by fever, his convalescence in the loving arms of Doña María de Padilla.
- The King’s departure from Torrijos to Valladolid to marry Doña Blanca de Borbón
The main venues for this celebration are the Palace of Pedro I (Auditorium, Interior Cloister, Patio del Aljibe and Patio de “Doña María de Padilla”), the Plaza de San Gil and surrounding streets (Vistillas, Aguabuena, Cuevas, Buenadicha, Murillo), the Plaza de España, the Plaza del Doctor Cifuentes and the Plaza de la Constitución
EASTER EASTER (Toledo)
Festival of International Tourist Interest
Date: Easter week
Holy Week in Toledo attracts and captivates, above all because of the dense traditional religious atmosphere in which it takes place. The silence, the night and the beauty of the city and the images elevate Holy Week in Toledo to its maximum expression. Holy Week in Toledo impresses, among other things, for its penitential severity and for the itineraries that the floats follow between monastic walls, sheds and crossroads of a unique city.
The Junta de Cofradías y Hermandades de la Semana Santa de Toledo and the Church of Toledo make an effort during these days which is reflected in processions, Holy Offices and other services such as the visit to the Blessed Sacrament in the traditional Monuments on the afternoon of Maundy Thursday and the morning of Good Friday. Acts that are lived with great intensity and devotion throughout the week.
The twenty brotherhoods not only organise and carry out the processions, but are also a true reflection of Toledo’s history and culture. Such as the Mozarabic knights and ladies, those founded in the XVI, XVII and XVIII centuries, or those that have arisen at the beginning of our XXI century.
Open Doors in all the parishes, churches, convents and monasteries that are to be used for the solemn ceremonies of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday and which offer a unique opportunity for neighbours and visitors to approach conventual temples closed behind high walls the rest of the year.
SUGGESTIONS:
In order to plan your visit to the processions, it is a good idea to consult their route on the website of the Junta de Cofradías de Toledo, www.semanasantatoledo.com
EASTER EASTER (Ocaña)
For more than 400 years, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, order and silence have accompanied the majestic processions that take to the streets of the town of Ocaña, made up of ten brotherhoods and confraternities, some of which date back to the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, with a total of 2,000 members. The tradition of the brotherhood, as well as its continuity over time, have led it to be declared a “Fiesta of National Tourist Interest”.
In the Good Friday procession, the image of Our Lady of Good Friday is of special importance. P. Jesús Nazareno, patron saint of the locality, articulated, stages the falls on the way to Calvary, other images with movement participate in the staging and are accompanied by Los Armados, so called because they wear half-armour from the 16th and 17th centuries belonging to the Archconfraternity in this processional parade.
EASTER (Carmena)
It all begins on Palm Sunday, with the so-called “Procession of La Borriquita” in which the protagonists are the children of Carmena, in charge of carrying an image of Jesus on the back of a borriquita while the whole town carries palms and olive branches.
Subsequently, in the processions of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, there is no lack of centurions escorting Christ; the staging of the kiss of Judas; Pilate’s sentence; the cleaning of the face of the bloody Christ; the episode of Simon the Cyrenean when he is forced to help Jesus carry the cross, and finally the “Procession of the Holy Burial”, in which the various Brotherhoods and Guilds and the people of Carmena accompany the image of Christ to the Sepulchre (located 1.5 km away from the church) for his burial there. The image of the Recumbent Christ is taken to the Sepulchre (located 1.5 km. from the church) for burial there.
The high point is Easter Sunday, when the “Procession of the Encounter” between Jesus and his Mother takes place on the esplanade of the church, framed by the ringing of bells, music and the bursting of fireworks. And to round off the event, the “Burning of Judas” in the Town Hall square, with a fireworks display at the end. A festival that exudes fervour and authenticity.
EASTER WEEK (Corral de Almaguer)
Easter Week is one of the most emblematic festivities in Corral de Almaguer. It is also one of the most unique and beautiful in the region. Declared of Regional Tourist Interest especially for the historical, artistic and religious value of the processions, for the singularity of some of its traditions and for the literary and musical value of the autos sacramentales and the saetas, both original manifestations of the 13th and 14th centuries.
The most solemn processions begin on Maundy Thursday, when the most solemn processions take place.
processions of the different local brotherhoods and the most important pillars of this Holy Week.
Three processions take to the streets, popularly known as the “Blancos”, “Morados” and “Negros”, according to the colour of the tunics they wear.
On Palm Sunday, the image of Jesus in the Borriquilla is carried in procession, accompanied by a multitude of local people with palms, making this procession one of the most eye-catching and colourful.
EASTER EASTER (Quintanar de la Orden)
Easter Week in Quintanar is monumental, not only because of its twenty floats of great beauty, but also because of the fourteen brotherhoods and the three thousand five hundred Nazarenes who attend their processions. Alternating silence and music, and escorted by the brotherhoods with their tunics and hoods, the images walk through the town. Particularly interesting moments are the Procession of the Carracas, carried and played by the Nazarenes; the Procession of the Pasos, and at all times, the saetas with which some of the locals pay homage to the pasos. Likewise, the bands of music and cornets and drums create the unique atmosphere of Holy Week in Castilla-La Mancha.
EASTER EASTER (Talavera de la Reina)
Festival of Regional Tourist Interest
Date: Easter week
A full programme of events is organised around Easter Week in Talavera, including nine processional processions, a bugle and drum band competition in which groups from all over Spain take part, conferences, concerts of sacred music, photographic competitions and sculpture exhibitions, among others.
The setting in which Easter Week is celebrated in Talavera is beautiful, and the possibility of contemplating the processions from its walls makes it even greater. Its more than three thousand brotherhoods, dressed in tunics and hoods or with their heads covered, carry floats and images of great artistic value, accompanied on their route by music and choirs.
This Easter Week in Talavera, considered to be a mixture of Castilian and Andalusian, is notable for its important liturgical events such as the Processions of the Borriquita, the Processions of Silence, the Passion and the Holy Burial, which can be seen from the city walls; the Meeting of the Risen Jesus with his Holy Mother on Holy Saturday in the Plaza del Reloj, and the dramatisation of some passages such as the Passion, the Holy Burial and the Ceramic Stations of the Cross.
EASTER WEEK (Villacañas)
Festival of Regional Tourist Interest
Date: Easter week
https://www.aytovillacanas.com/turismo-y-festejos/semana-santa
The celebration of Holy Week in Villacañas has a series of characteristics that have made it grow over the last three decades, highlighting mainly the intense work carried out by the Brotherhoods in the organisation of the processions, which have been growing since its recovery in 1990, managing in recent years to bring more than 1.In recent years they have managed to bring more than 1,000 brotherhood members and up to 17 processional floats, some of considerable artistic value, as well as several bugle and drum bands, in a series of processions that begin on the Friday of Sorrows and conclude on Easter Sunday with the procession of the Encounter, which closes with a large drum parade in the Plaza de España.
The popular participation in Easter Week is very important and also attracts foreign visitors who take advantage of these festivities to watch the processions in the municipality as spectators. A Holy Week that has also grown with parallel activities, such as concerts of sacred music or the reading of the Easter Proclamation. This is why this celebration has become a tourist attraction of a cultural and popular nature, in addition to its religious aspect, with original elements and with a clear vocation for permanence over time based on a tradition recovered with great intensity in the locality.
EASTER WEEK (Cebolla)
The Holy Week is one of the events that are engraved to fire in the heart of the neighbors of the town of Cebolla.
The emotion and pride with which they live it make their Holy Week one of the most special in the province of Toledo.
Cebolla invites you to live its processions, enjoy the beauty of its images, contemplate the fervor of its brotherhoods and participate with the whole town in their acts that make their Holy Week unique.
Cebolla currently has 6 brotherhoods: Hermandad Cristo de la Columna, Hermandad Jesús Cautivo, Cofradía Ntro. Padre Jesús Nazareno, Hermandad del Santísimo Cristo de la Agonía y de la Santa Cruz, Hermandad de la Virgen de los Dolores, Hermandad del Santo Sepulcro and the former Hermandad del Pincho y la Bandera.
EASTER WEEK (Novés)
At Easter Week in Novés, the protagonists are the articulated images and the Brotherhoods; On Palm Sunday, olive branches and palms are blessed in the Vera Cruz chapel; The procession then goes in procession to the church. On the same day, the Junta de Cofradías will hold the Easter Week Proclamation.
On Holy Wednesday, at 12 midnight, the brotherhood of the Santísimo Cristo de la Columna (Holy Christ of the Column) proceeds to the placing of the Ensign’s flag. On Maundy Thursday, the brotherhood of the Santísimo Cristo de la Columna parades in a purple tunic with a purple hood, or a white flannel and purple ribbon.
The images that parade in the procession are the procession of the Prayer in the Garden of Olives, followed by the Santísimo Cristo de la Columna and finally the beautiful Virgen de los Dolores.
On Maundy Thursday, at 12 midnight, the brotherhood of the Precious Blood proceeds to the flag-raising at the house of the Ensign. On Good Friday morning, the articulated images of the Nazarene and La Soledad parade in the procession of the Fallen. In the afternoon, the Brotherhood of the Precious Blood (founded in 1532) parades along with the articulated images of the Nazarene and La Soledad. His attire is a black tunic with a black hood or a white flannel with a purple ribbon.
The unnailing is also celebrated, followed by a procession of the images of the Virgin Mary and the Virgin Mary.
Jesús Crucificado denominado Santísimo Cristo del Remedio, el Santo Sepulcro y la Virgen de la Soledad. On the Saturday of Glory, at 12 midnight, the brotherhood of the Immaculate Conception proceeds to the placing of the flag in the house of the Ensign. On Easter Sunday, the brotherhood of the Immaculate Conception, whose regulations date back to 1913, parades in the procession of the encounter. His tunic and ribbon are light blue with a white flap. In this procession the images of the Resurrected Jesus and the Immaculate Conception are paraded.
REPRESENTATION OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST (Villanueva de Bogas)
In 1996 a group of neighbors of Villanueva de Bogas gathered to represent a sacramental play about the Birth of Christ. As a result of this performance, the group was inspired to perform a dramatisation of The Passion of Christ.
The result of all these years of history is a great theatrical representation of two and a half hours that has managed to gather thousands of people in each edition. Currently more than a hundred people on stage make La Pasión possible, all of them belonging to the Cultural Association “Jiménez de Rada”, who build and set their theatre in the sports courts of the town, in an air-conditioned marquee.
THE PASSION OF CHRIST (Villatobas)
The Passion of Christ in Villatobas is a cultural and religious event that marks the beginning of Holy Week. It is performed on the weekend of Palm Sunday in the streets of our town.
It was launched in 2008.
It is a catechesis of flesh and blood as it shows us the whole life of Jesus from the preaching of his beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount, through his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, his last supper with the Apostles, his arrest in the garden of Gethsemane, his trial before the Sanhedrin, his being led before Pilate and King Herod, to his journey to Calvary, his Crucifixion and his Resurrection.
All this is a scenic ensemble that tries to help us to contemplate and participate in the events that Jesus of Nazareth lived 2000 years ago and the people who accompanied him and were witnesses of those moments.
The staging of the “Passion of Christ” takes place throughout our town in 6 different locations. At street level and with a direct dialogue with the spectators.
There is a participation between actors, scenery, sets, painting, costumes and sound equipment of 200 people, all of them volunteers.
The order of scenes is as follows:
INTRODUCTION: The appearance of Jesus at Lake Tiberias
PART I
Act I –Place: The park:
- The Sermon on the Mount
- Jesus and the children
- The parables of the kingdom
- The resurrection of Lazarus
Act II – Place: Pretil de la Iglesia
- The triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem
- The Healing of the Blind – Jesus and the Adulterous Woman
- Expulsion of the merchants from the temple
- Meeting of the Sanhedrin and handing over of Judas
PART II
Act I – Venue: Saloon Cervantes
- The foot wash
- The Last Supper
- The farewell
Act II – Place; the park
- Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane
- The prendimiento
Act III –Place: Pretil de la Iglesia
- Jesus before the Sanhedrin
- The repentance of Judas
- Peter’s denials
PART III
Act I –Place: Plaza de España
- Pilate’s arrival in Jerusalem
- Jesus before Pilate
- The flagellation and crowning with thorns
- Jesus condemned to death
Act II –Place: Calle La Encomienda and Plaza del Castillo
- The falls and Stations of the Cross
PART IV
Act I –Place: Plaza del Castillo
- Crucifixion of Jesus
- Women go to the tomb
- Peter and John at the tomb
- Appearance of Jesus to the Apostles
The Passion of Christ of Villatobas has been recognised and named of REGIONAL TOURIST INTEREST
The performance is on 23 and 24 March 2024
FIESTA OF THE MONDAS (Talavera de la Reina)
The Mondas were celebrated in Roman times, and have remained until today, changing as the historical epochs succeeded each other. This is reflected in the most characteristic feature of this festival: its four historic floats The first celebrates the Roman goddess of agriculture Ceres, and the marriage of her daughter Proserpina to Pluto. The second, from the Visigothic period, when the sanctuary of Ceres was transformed into a hermitage of the Virgen del Prado, and the feast celebrated the betrothal of the Virgin to Saint Joseph – today no longer part of the Christian liturgy. The third float is for the days of pain: in the plague that almost devastated Talavera in 1507, the city council and clergy made a joint and solemn vow to celebrate with honor the Virgen del Prado if she saved them from the epidemic. The fourth float, that of the Brotherhood of the Virgen del Prado, whose members have contributed to the splendor of the festival.
But the festival also brings together the mayors and residents of all the villages of Talavera, who come with their own “mondas” and carts, and folk groups from all over Spain, who perform music and dances along the route. The parade is brought to a close by the village of Gamonal and its traditional “Carrito de Mondas”, pulled by two rams and filled with rosemary.
The purpose of all these wagons is to carry offerings to the Virgin of Prado, like a bride in her betrothal to Saint Joseph. The laying of offerings and the singing of the Hymn of the Virgen del Prado by the choirs of Talavera close the celebration.
ROMERÍA IN HONOUR OF NTRA. SRA. DE LA NATIVIDAD (Méntrida)
On the 25th of April the dancers of Méntrida accompany the Virgin of Nuestra Señora de Nuestra Señora de Méntrida on her route.
Señora de la Natividad, to her hermitage on Mount Berciana. The dancers are eight children, dressed in white and red, who perform dances with sticks, rods, ribbons… Spectacular is the
Danza de los Arcos, where the dancers hold half an arch of flowers with one hand, moving only their feet, as well as the Baile de la Bandera before the picture of the Virgin, which is performed at the door of the hermitage, although this time the dancers are the “sargentos y mochilleres”, a kind of army dressed in period costume who also act as custodians of the Virgin.
On 25 April, after the dances, the Mentridans retire to their “ranchos” – areas on Mount Berciana – to eat. It doesn’t matter if we don’t know anyone: in the streets of the city we will find many places to enjoy the succulent gastronomy of the region, and the excellent D.O. Vino de Méntrida.
CERVANTINE DAYS OF EL TOBOSO (El Toboso)
What better place than where the Dulcinea bride of Don Quixote was born to return to the century of the Knight of the Sad Figure. The locals will welcome us dressed in Cervantes costumes, and the genius of Don Miguel will seduce us in the streets and squares with theatrical performances, Cervantes days, period markets, exhibitions… and even Don Quixote and Sancho themselves entering El Toboso.
During these days, cultural events and plays are performed in the streets and the most picturesque corners of the town, where visitors can enjoy the plays while they walk around El Toboso admiring its monuments and typical façades.
In the Cervantino atmosphere, the people of El Toboso and its people participate in all the events dressed in the typical Cervantino costume, creating an atmosphere that is particular to the town of El Toboso. It is possible to listen to the songs of the night comedians, theatrical performances and taste typical Manchegan dishes such as ratatouille, pickled partridges, tiznao, duelos y quebrantos, gachas, mojete, migas de pastor and lamb stew, not forgetting our wines, “Campos de Dulcinea” and “Quiñón de Rosales”, produced under the denomination of origin of La Mancha.
MEDIEVAL DAYS OF OROPESA (Oropesa)
The Jornadas Medievales have been held for more than a decade now to commemorate the granting to the town by Alfonso XI of the privilege of holding a market during the month of April. For three days, the streets are filled with stalls, performances, parades, competitions, exhibitions, workshops, horse tournaments, music… The most popular event is the ‘Rescue of the Princess’.
With the castle as the epicentre, the activities are spread over various locations: the Plaza del Navarro, Palenque, the chapel of San Bernardo, the gardens of the Viceroy, the church square, the Paseo Bajo and the gardens of the Parador.
Jugglers, snake tamers, acrobats, goblins and jesters mingle with visitors and neighbors, practically all dressed in period costume. More than 30,000 people visit the town to enjoy these days.
In some performances it is necessary to present the commemorative coin of the conference, which has a price of two euros, and also serves to use a shuttle service from the parking lots to the center of the town.
OLIVE TREE FESTIVAL OF MORA (Mora)
The original fiesta of Mora has its origins in the private celebrations that each farmer used to hold at the end of the olive harvest, with dancing in his house and decorating his carts with olive branches.
Today its main attraction is the parade of floats that takes place on Sunday morning (the festival is held annually on the last Sunday in April). The parade is watched by tens of thousands of people from all over the world who come to Mora to share with the Morachos, this popular and traditional Olive Tree Festival, which pays homage to the millenary tree.
Over the years, this festival has also been surrounded by many cultural activities, such as the National Painting, Poetry and Journalism Competitions. At the provincial level, an olive oil and olive tree pruning competition is held, as well as a literary and plastic arts competition for schoolchildren. During the days of celebration there are exhibitions of Oils, Paint, Agricultural and Industrial Machinery, etc.
DANZANTES Y SANTÍSIMO CRISTO DE LA VIGA (Villacañas)
The festival has been held for more than 500 years, organised by the Brotherhood of the Holy Christ of the Beam, which has managed to keep alive the devotion of Villacanera for its Christ of the Beam, and the pride of showing the world a religious and popular festival marked by the colourful dances of its Dancers.
The day of the Cristo de la Viga is the 1st of May. The costume of the dancers on this day is very colourful, elegant and rich in symbols. It is a true work of art. The work of dressing a dancer
is laborious and arduous, takes more than two hours and is done by expert hands. The dancer wears his costume with great respect and veneration, knowing that he is the bearer of something very valuable and sacred. Proof of this is that the days before, the costumes are exhibited in the dancers’ houses and are visited by friends and family.
The colourful and spectacular nature of this religious and popular festival is so important that it has become one of the main tourist attractions of the municipality. Every year more and more visitors take advantage of the 1st of May, a bank holiday, come to Villacañas to discover a festival that is linked to ancestral traditions and which is renewed every year by popular fervour.
ROMERÍA DE LA MILAGRA DE NAVAHERMOSA (Navahermosa)
The pilgrimage commemorates a miracle: according to legend, during a period of drought, the towns of Navahermosa and Hontanar decided to organise a rogation; they took their virgins in procession along the same road in the opposite direction; at the moment when the two virgins met, it began to rain.
According to documentary evidence, this tradition has remained unchanged since the end of the 17th century
. On the third Sunday in May, decorated floats and riders on horseback accompany the Virgin to the hermitage, surrounded by nature and mountains in the valley of Valtravieso. A day in the countryside that has been accompanied by numerous cultural and festive events since the previous week.
SPRING FESTIVAL (Orgaz)
The Orgaz Spring Festival is a festival dedicated to “Nuestra Señora la Virgen del Socorro”, patron saint of the town and to the “Orgaz woman”. The woman from Orgaz is reflected in the figure of Doña Jimena, wife of the Cid Campeador, who, between legend and tradition, is linked to this town of Orgaz. During the Fiesta, Doña Jimena and her Court of Honour, girls who turn 18 in the year of the Fiesta, are proclaimed, as well as the Children’s Queen and her Court, girls who turn 10 years old.
It is held on the last weekend of May, the month of spring par excellence. The most representative events of the Spring Festival are the following:
– Friday afternoon-evening: Dramatised route of the courtyards of Orgace
– Saturday night: Proclamation of Jimena, Reina Infantil and their respective Cortes de Honor
– Sunday morning: Pilgrimage to the Hermitage of Nuestra Señora del Socorro and celebration of the procession, floral offering and mass. A day on which all the orgaceños dress up in traditional costume to enjoy the Fiesta and relive our traditions.
– Saturday and Sunday: throughout the weekend you can also enjoy the flea market
Medieval and different exhibitions.
CORPUS CHRISTI (Toledo)
Festival of International Tourist Interest
Date: Corpus Christi
The feast of Corpus Christi in the capital of Toledo has in its Custody only one of its many attractions. This impressive piece of gold and silver gilt work, and part of the cathedral’s treasure, is carried in procession through the city on Thursdays, in accordance with Toledo’s own Hispano-Mozarabic liturgy. A processional cross from the 16th century It is followed by the Infanzones de Illescas, the standard-bearer, and the flankers, dressed in red and wearing red birettas, who take the capes hanging from the banner. The Mozarabic Knights, people distinguished with this honor for their studies on the Mozarabs of Toledo, continue to dress them in blue and with the cross of Alfonso VI on their arms. The Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, the bishop’s honor guard, in white, with white episcopal biretta, with red tassel, are next. Behind, the Knights of Corpus Christi, personalities from Latin America accredited in Spain, wearing green dresses and three embroidered white crosses, representing the three caravels with which Columbus discovered America. And the regular clergy, the primate chapter, and the Custody, most high, and under pallium.
The streets are decorated with fabrics, formerly provided by the weaving and silk guilds. Today it is banners, shawls, shawls and flags that adorn the houses and balconies. The Cathedral is adorned with eight 17th century Flemish tapestries. The private courtyards are also open to the public, and constitute a unique attraction that can only be seen once a year.
On the afternoon of the eve of Corpus Christi, the parade of the Tarasca takes place, accompanied by the Gigantones and the music groups; a little later, at eleven o’clock at night, a singular procession along the Corpus Christi route, where the pertiguero, dressed in black and with a long rod, makes sure that no obstacle in height will impede or damage the passage of the Custody.
CALDEDORIAN DAYS OF YEPES (Yepes)
Yepes, known as El Toledillo de la Mancha, opened its doors to welcome Pedro Calderón de la Barca, who, hired by the Brotherhood of the Blessed Sacrament, wrote the sacramental play El mágico prodigioso to be performed at Corpus Christi in 1637. On the occasion of such an important event for the town, the Calderonian Days are born, with the dramatised routes “A journey through the Yepes of Calderón” which aim to make known in an attractive way for the visitor the culture, history and heritage that the Very Loyal Town of Yepes possesses.
The Jornadas Calderonianas are inaugurated each year with a presentation and conference with the participation of important personalities from the world of literature, specialists in classical theatre, ecclesiastical personalities who contribute their vision and the importance of the feast of Corpus Christi and representatives of local and regional administrations.
Over the course of a week, different events take place in the Auditorium of the town’s Cultural Centre, inside the Parish Church and even in the streets of the town itself. One of them is the representation of an Auto Sacramental, in memory of “El Mágico Prodigioso” that Calderón de la Barca dedicated to our town.
The Calderonian Days have become a Baroque festival: over the course of almost a month different religious and cultural events related to the Golden Age take place, with the Corpus Christi Procession and the Dramatised Routes “A journey through Calderon’s Yepes” being the most outstanding events. With this festivity, Yepes aims to bring together the religious and the profane to show the most deeply-rooted traditions hidden behind the stones of its walls
CORPUS CHRISTI (Lagartera)
The needlework and embroidery of Lagartera is one of the most unique, spectacular and eye-catching handicrafts in the whole of Castilla-La Mancha. The Corpus Christi in the town is a display of colours, shapes and patterns, not only in the regional costumes of the lagarterano and lagarterana, but also in the altars that are set up on the doors of the houses. The Custody of Lagartera follows the same route since the 13th century, from the Church of El Salvador along Corredera de los Toros, Calle de Alonso Herrero, Real, Curato and Plaza del Comercio and the Church, returning to the church.
Along the way, handcrafted altars with tablecloths, handkerchiefs, bedspreads, and all kinds of fabrics with lagartera embroidery, some of which have been preserved in families since the 16th century . Complemented with bunches of basil, fennel and mint, which impregnate the air with their aromas. In the village you can buy handmade, unique pieces of lagartera weavings.
SINS AND DANCERS. CORPUS CHRISTI (Camuñas)
Festival of Regional Tourist Interest. Asset of Cultural Interest
Date: Corpus Christi
Two groups, sin and dancers, appear in imposing costumes. In the one of the Sins, with mask and long rod, red and black predominate: they are evil. The Danzantes, in masks and white clothes, are the joy and the good.
During the Mass, the Sins wait outside. At the start of the procession, they attack amid fire from
gunpowder and shouting, until they are humiliated. Then, the Dancers, to the sound of music,
perform the dance of the cordon.
The different masks and costume variants in Sins and Dancers represent different
characters, such as “El Pecado Mayor” who, wearing a pig’s mask, represents the devil, the “Judío Mayor” -the blindness of faith-, “El Capitán” -charity-, “El alcalde” -hope-, “El Tambor” -temperance-, “la Porra” -strength-, or “la Madama” who goes through the procession and gathers the Dancers to form a long column behind her. Thus, the festival acquires the symbolic meaning of the autos sacramentales and dramatic works of the Golden Age, with the peculiarity that the entire representation is performed without words.
MEDIEVAL CONSUEGRA (Consuegra)
The para-theatrical recreation “Medieval Consuegra” began in 1997 under the name of the “Medieval Battle of Consuegra”, commemorating the ninth centenary of a historical event, the battle on 15 August 1097 between the Castilian-Leonese army, under the command of Alfonso VI, and the Almoravid troops of General Muhamad – ben – al – Hach.
The confrontation was part of the military campaigns of the Almoravids against the Christian kingdoms, resulting in their defeat at Sagrajas, Consuegra and Uclés, during the last decade of the eleventh century and the beginning of the twelfth century. The battle of Consuegra ended with the defeat for the second time of Alfonso VI, who was besieged in the fortress for eight days, and with the death of Diego Rodríguez Díaz de Vivar, the only male son of the Cid. Around 500 participants bring to life the two sides, Castilian and Almoravid, reliving one of the battles that marked the Reconquest.
You can visit the Castilian Fonsado, crossing the defences of a castle under siege, enter the Almoravid Almofalla and learn first-hand about the preparations for the battle, stroll through the decorated streets of the Zoco of Consuegra and stop at the merchants’ stalls, be moved by the Funeral Ceremony for those who fell in battle, and vibrate with the clash of the two armies in the As-Satrany: a metaphorical representation of the battle on a giant chessboard, followed by a miserere and a danse macabre in honour of the soul of the dead hero.
This performance takes place in its bullring and in the castle of La Muela, located on the Calderico hill.
Taking this historical event as a starting point, a series of events are programmed so that the spectator can have a complete historical vision of the 11th century, recovering both the social fabric, muladíes, mozárabes, Christians, Arabs, of the period as well as the costumes or language.
FESTIVAL CELESTINA (LA ESPAÑA DE ROJAS) (La Puebla de Montalbán)
Festival dedicated to Fernando de Rojas, a native of La Puebla de Montalbán, and his main work, La Celestina, from which it takes its name. The fiestas are relatively young (since 1999) but are already deeply rooted and a cultural reference point in the province of Toledo.
Most of the theatrical performances take place in the caves located in different areas of the village, which gives the festival a special character. In addition, the proceeds from the performances in the caves are used for the maintenance of the caves and to cover the cost of the (few) main professional actors who participate. Most of the actors are local people. Tickets for the festival go on sale at the Museo de La Celestina and sell out quickly.
The most important representation is held in the Plaza Mayor, going through part of the streets of the town until reaching the tower of San Miguel, where the representation ends, full of color despite the hours of the night.
TORO ENMAROMADO DE YUNCOS (Yuncos)
The “Toro enmaromado de Yuncos” has its origins in 1978, being called at that time “Toro del Aguardiente”, which was celebrated in February on the occasion of the festivity of San Blas.
The town of Yuncos, traditionally celebrates these peculiar running of the bulls of its Toro Enmaromado, on the occasion of its September Patron Saint Festivities, in honor of the Virgen del Consuelo.
This celebration consists of taking a bull through the streets of the town. The release takes place from the box directly into the Calle Real, in an impressive setting, sheltered by walls on both sides of the street, decorated and full of people waiting for the exit. Once the animal has followed the marked route, it returns to the crate from which it started.
The bull is roped with two ropes: one of about 70 metres in front and the other of about 25 metres behind; although the bull is roped, the aim is to lead it as loose as possible, so that the animal charges straight ahead and trots from less to more, with the aim of producing exciting races provoked by the maromeros.
During the course of the bullfight, the maromeros guide the bull, citing it in front of them. On the part of
behind, leaving about 5 metres of distance to avoid possible damage to the animal when turning abruptly and also so that the rope does not become entangled, carrying it without touching the ground and as little tense as possible to favour the animal’s lunges and starts.
FIESTA IN HONOUR OF THE HOLY CHRIST OF HEALTH (La Puebla de Almoradiel)
In the times of Felipe II there was a humilladero outside the walls of La Puebla de Almoradiel and there was a cross where the believers said their prayers. In 1764, this humilladero was changed for a hermitage and in 1766 Juan Antonio Argüelles was commissioned to make the image of the Santísimo Cristo de la Salud. Since then, the image has been preserved and remains in the same place for which it was intended. In 2016, the 250th anniversary of the image of Christ was commemorated.
On the eve of the grape harvest, from 31 August to 3 September, this festival is held, the most important in the town due to the great devotion it arouses among both the inhabitants of the village and those from neighbouring towns, who make a pilgrimage on foot to the hermitage of the Crucified Christ during those days.
On the afternoon of 31 August, the official opening of the Fair and Festivities takes place with the raising of the flags and the chupinazo in the Plaza de la Constitución. Afterwards, processional transfer of the image of the Stmo. Christ from his hermitage to the Parish Church, where solemn vespers are sung. Later, a spectacular fireworks display.
On 1 September, the main day of the festivities, there will be a chocolate party in the Plaza de la Iglesia for the pilgrims who come from abroad, and at 11 a.m. a solemn celebration of the Eucharist, ending at midday with the traditional concert by “La Flor de La Mancha” Mid-afternoon, magna procession of the Stmo Cristo de la Salud from the Parish Church to its hermitage, where thousands of the faithful gather in the midst of a truly impressive fervour. In the evening, the day ends with variety shows and popular dances. On 2 and 3 September, various religious events, concerts, parades, sporting events and popular dances take place.
PROCESION SANTÍSIMO CRISTO DE LA SALA (Bargas)
If this procession is striking for its silence and the exclusive candlelight that accompanies it, it is also impressive for the typical Bargueño costumes worn by local men and women.
Theirs is completed by a manila shawl, in many cases handed down from mother to daughter for generations. The meticulous placement is admirable: folded in a beak, crossed backwards, small folds on the nape of the neck are pinned with a multitude of pins in the hair. On the ears, the “arracadas”, Mudejar-inspired earrings, and on the neck, the “aderezos”, pendants in the form of bows, feathers or almonds. All of this is present in the more than two thousand bargueñas that usually accompany the procession
For five days Bargas celebrates its festivities, from Friday to Tuesday, with the procession on Sunday night. The fireworks and the spectacular jumps of the young people over the fire castle are the great spectacle of Saturday night.
MEDIEVAL WINE FAIR (Montearagón)
Festival of Regional Tourist Interest
Date: Around 25 September
Montearagón has a deep-rooted custom of harvesting grapes and then making wine and its derivatives, as is clear from the presence of grapes on the municipal coat of arms.
In 2006, it was decided to pay homage to this product and its customs of handmade production of pitarra wine in private homes by celebrating the 1st MEDIEVAL WINE FAIR.
Since that year, the festival has been held on the weekend closest to the feast day of St. Michael the Archangel (patron saint of the municipality), recreating the arrival of the local people after the harvest and the first wine-making processes.
Each edition brings together wineries from all over the region and the surrounding area to offer visitors the chance to taste their wines at the various stands set up in the Plaza de la Constitución. Over the years, the number of wineries has increased and the place of origin of the wineries has varied.
The medieval character of the festival makes it an ideal festival to visit with family and friends, as we can not only enjoy good wine but also taste different local products from the surrounding municipalities and participating artisans.
SANTÍSIMO CRISTO DE URDA (Urda)
Between 27 September and 1 October, the village of Urda in Toledo celebrates its “fair”, the “feria”
festivities for the Santísimo Cristo de la Vera Cruz de Urda Pilgrimage and pilgrimage to the Sanctuary, in a multitudinous processional ceremony that accompanies the Baroque carving of Luis de Villoldo, from the beginning of the 16th century.
Of a markedly penitential nature, the main festival is held on 28 and 29 September. The
first contemplates the procession to the church, which will house the carving until the following day. On the morning of 29 After the high mass, the Christ of Urda is returned to his sanctuary.
The next retirement years: 2019, 2024, 2030, 2041.
Listening to the municipal music band, at certain times the streets of the town and listening to it, it is inevitable to think that Urda, these days, tastes like a fair.
Have some “gambitas”, aubergines from Almagro and churros with chocolate. Unforgivable not to do so! Stroll through the village, which is full of atmosphere, with stalls selling a wide variety of goods and all kinds of beach bars. All of it is “fair”. Enjoy it in a long and leisurely stroll!
ROSA DEL AZAFRÁN FESTIVAL (Consuegra)
The Fiesta de la Rosa del Azafrán has become, in its own right, a reference in cultural tourism at a national level. It offers three days full of culture, gastronomy, folklore and tradition, intoxicated by the intense aroma of saffron flowers.
Some say that Cervantes found in Consuegra the inspiration for his world famous Giants. Whether true or not, the Calderico hill is crowned by twelve 16th century windmills, four of which still have their original machinery.
One of the main events of the Saffron Rose Festival are the two folklore shows organized by the Cultural Association “Rosa del Azafrán”. On Saturday, between Molinos de Viento and prior to the Molienda de la Paz; and on Sunday, in the Plaza de España, in an exhibition that brings together the most representative groups of Choirs and Dances at national level in Consuegra.
Due to its location, soil and climate, the red gold of La Mancha finds in Consuegra one of the most favorable areas for its growth. Its cultivation is a slow and laborious process that, except for a few innovations, is carried out exactly as it was a hundred years ago. During the festival we will be able to learn about the entire process of cultivation, harvesting, harvesting and roasting of the most valued spice in the world.
FESTIVITIES IN HONOUR OF THE VIRGIN OF PIEDAD (Villanueva de Alcardete)
The festivities in honor of the Virgen de la Piedad are celebrations with a great religious fervor. The most beautiful and worth seeing is the procession. The dancers and the gabozorra in beautiful starched costumes dance tirelessly in front of the image with their eyes fixed on it and later they perform the dances, called alabarderos, which consist of the dances of paloteos, la culebra, la cruz and el cordón (the snake, the cross and the cord)
Another of the outstanding elements of this fiesta is the great burning of gunpowder that the local residents and the Town Council offer to the Virgin, which together with the music of the drum and the dulzaina, make up the characteristic melody of these fiestas.
JORNADAS CERVANTINAS (Esquivias)
Since 1979, without interruption, the Jornadas Cervantinas have been held in commemoration of the wedding of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra to Catalina de Salazar y Palacios, which took place in Esquivias on 12 December 1584.
Since the eighteenth century Esquivias is known to exist in the interest to associate in order to make known to the world the close relationship that unites the people with the life and work of Cervantes.
Today, driven by the Cervantes Society of Esquivias and the dedication and enthusiasm of the local people, this relationship is remembered through a wide variety of activities: book presentations and readings, staged visits, conferences, plays, concerts, workshops, street markets and gastronomic tastings.
