Valladolid information
Los Encierros tradicionales de Medina del Campo
Dates: First week of October.
At the beginning of October Medina del Campo holds its traditional
running of the bulls, a festival that has been declared of tourist
interest to Castilla y León. The fact that such bullfighting festivals
have their roots in antiquity, possibly as far back as the 16th
century, is a perfect excuse for the annual outpouring of energy
that the 20,000 people who visit the festival bring to the town
during such fairs. This particular one coincides with the fairs
celebrated in honour of San Antolín.
The running of the bulls, which takes place on horseback and on foot, as well as in the countryside and in the very heart of the town, have come to embody the very essence of popular tradition in this town. In fact, there are numerous clubs of bullfighting enthusiasts and even an association that is in charge of organising the festivities. Each session can last more than an hour in the countryside and approximately half an hour when brought to the town itself.
Holy Week in Medina del Campo
Declared of regional touristic interest 1993, the Semana Santa
(Holy Week) in Medina del Campo in one of the oldest festivals
of processions of discipline in Spain. The processions were instituted
in the 15th century by the Dominican San Vicente Ferrer, and this
village was the first to have the image of the Pasión de Cristo
in its processions.
The festivities start with the Procesión de la Virgen de
las Angustias, on Viernes de Dolores (Pain Friday), and end on
Resurrection Sunday with a procession that includes all the fraternities
and the image of Cristo Resucitado (Christ resurrected). During
the week other notable processions include "La Procesión
de la Caridad", "La Procesión de la Vera Cruz",
"La Procesión del Encuentro", and "La Procesión
del Silencio".
Source: Web server of Instituto de Turismo de España, TURESPAÑA.