Peñafiel festivities
The Festival of Nuestra Señora and San Roque, held in Peñafiel, a village in the province of Valladolid, is famous for its bull-fights and its traditional procession, the Chúndara. The festival has been declared of touristic interest in Castilla y León.
A pistol shot is the starting signal of four days of fun. The first shot announce the start of the chúndara, an endless procession which makes its way to the Plaza del Coso, while the villagers throw buckets of water on the people below from their balconies. On arrival at the square, the young bulls are released. The bulls will be fought during the festival, and then on the last night served in a stew for all the villagers and guests.
The penning of the bulls, which goes on all through the festival, starts at nine o'clock in the morning. The fights too go on all day in the Plaza del Coso, and are famous for the fact that there is one bull inside the ring and another outside. Bull festivals have been held in the Plaza del Coso since the Middle Ages, and the village also boasts several houses which conserve a touch of the Middle Ages in their construction. The gaudy wooden balconies are particularly noticeable, from where the residents observe the bull traditions and other events which take place throughout the year.
The Procesión Cívica de El Vítor has been declared of touristic interest in Castilla y León. The procession is a little strange, as all the villagers dress up in old clothes and cover their heads. The celebration starts at about 10 o'clock at night, when the villagers burn leather wineskins that are hung from poles. From this point on, between the songs of worship, the cloud of smoke, the fire and the smell of burnt fish pays homage to Santo Toribio. These acts of devotion are held in memory of the day that the villagers received the remains of the saint, in whose name the people went into the streets with flaming torches and lanterns.
One of the most impressive moments is at the arrival of the procession to the Plaza Mayor, where there is a firework display. Part of the display makes the image of Santo Toribio, when all the people kneel to sing the hymn to the saint.
The celebrations of the The Procesión Cívica de El Vítor are brought to a close at about four o'clock in the morning in the hermitage of the saint with the singing of hymns. These celebrations take place in the middle of the festival of the patron saint, where the bulls play a large part, which in one way is relevant because the saint performed a miracle with a bull.
A globe descends on a thick rope to hang over the head of the Virgin. When it opens a child dressed as an angel comes out and takes away the black cloth covering the face of the Virgin, while a dove is released. Then the child is hoisted up, moving its arms and wings as though flying.
Then the Virgin continues on the way to meet
Christ in the Eucharist, el Santísimo.
Valladolid guide