La Alberca Festival
Once a year, the traditional festival of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción is held in the village of La Alberca, and it has been declared of national tourist interest. The colourful offerings and the praise to the Virgin are the main themes of the celebrations.
The families and the foremen make their offerings to Nuestra Señora de la Asunción. The men must touch one knee to the ground in a sign of devotion three times before and after making their offering. The colours and variety of the costumes are the most impressive part of the festivities, in which each individual piece has its meaning, from the buttons to the earrings to the hairclips. The festivities of the day are concluded with lively traditional and folk dancing.
The 16th is the day of giving praise, a sacred act which the citizens of Alberca carry out themselves and which lasts an hour. The central characters of the celebrations of praise are the funny figure and the demonic figure, a grotesque caricature who rides a dragon and who will end up losing in battle to the archangel San Miguel.
Source: Web server of Instituto de Turismo de España, TURESPAÑA.
Salamanca guide