FESTIVALS
Montemayor festivals and traditions
Montemayor is a wealthy town in history and traditions. Apart from the wide cultural and natural offer, and even the gastronomic and hotel ones, Montemayor offers to the visitor an ancestral culture that is linked to millenary traditions. That is the reason why all year long, in Montemayor a wide calendar of festivals and traditions is arranged to meet, in this events, every visitor has a place in and can enjoy them. We invite you to enjoy these festivals and traditions together with Montemayor’s inhabitants. We promise you will be just like all the rest.
So is that, we invite you meet our Holy Week, in which you will discover its characteristics, immemorial tradition and enormous participation. Andalucía’s Day is the moment to enjoy the festivals of the autonomous community and eat the traditional ‘hoyo’ with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Carnival is one of the festival that is best enjoyed in the company of friends.
In May, the celebration of the land’s patron saint, Saint Isidore the Laborer, he is the reason why a place so linked to agriculture like Montemayor celebrates a festival in honor of this figure. At the end of July, an open-air dance in honour of James the Great and Saint Anne is celebrated, in order to enjoy the long Summer nights. Montemayor waits for you to enjoy its festivals and traditions.
CANDLEMAS (2nd February)
This celebration is celebrated since the 16th Century. On previous days to this feast, young people goes to the country to collect branches and olive tree’s trunks, these are put on the parish schools’ playgrounds that are nearby Vera Cruz Shrine.
The first day of February, this wood is set on fire, creating huge bonfires. A lot of people meet around to drink, eat and sing traditional songs.
The second day of February, the Candlemas Virgin procession takes place, popularly known as ‘the cake and the dove’. The cake is brought by one of the altar boys and it is distributed to children after the procession. The young pigeons are placed on the Virgin’s frame.
Did you know that…?
When the mass have concluded, the tradition is that the previous year newborns are presented to the Virgin in Ntra. Sra. de la Asunción Church.
When the procession comes back, it is traditional singing the first saeta of the year, it marks the countdown to Holy Week.
SAINT ACATHIUS FAIR, MONTEMAYOR’S PATRON SAINT
It is doubtlessly considered the most important fair celebrated in Montemayor due to its historical content. It takes place in June (22nd-24th) on the occasion of the celebration in honor of Saint Acathius feasts. This celebration’s origin is the arrival of Saint Acathius’ relics brought by Antonio Aranda in 1517 from Rome. After a century he was named as Montemayor’s patron saint.
The fair is the perfect occasion to have a great time. Different sports competitions are celebrated, in addition to recreational acts, dances and other ludic activities for the residents of Montemayor and everyone else who wants to go with them.
On the 22th June, the mass in honor of Saint Acathius, the moment when his figure is shown in procession. The tradition is that children, adults and women with flamenco costumes walk with the figure of the Saint. Also, the Montemayor Cyclist Club organises a Grand Prix.
TRANSFIGURATION OF JESUS FESTIVAL (5th-6th of August)
It is known as the ‘third fair’. This festivity occured more than 20 years ago by Nazarene Jesus Brotherhood’s interest, especially by Mr. José Jaén. Commonly known as ‘La Feria de Jaén’. A religious triduum is celebrated in the hermitage. On the 6th August, the procession with the image of the Transfiguration of Jesus in his white tunic goes for a walk. Fireworks are the final touch to this festival. It is the moment of family enjoyment, especially from many emigrants that spend their vacation in their home town.
HOLY WEEK
Holy Week in Montemayor is, obviously, the most important religious moment of the year. it begins oh Palm Sunday, with the palms procession, from the Vera Cruz shrine. This procession is very special due to the donkey is alive, and a child from Montemayor rides it.
The figure of Nuestra Señora del Rosario processions on Holy Wednesday, during the night, on costaleras’ shoulders. On Holy Thursday, Nuestro Padre Jesús Amarrado a la Columna and María Santísima de la Soledad make an appointment to procession. Women dressed with mantillas walk with the local saeteros (sacred song singers), singing during the whole itinerary.
On Holy Friday morning, it takes place the processional parade of Hermandad de Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno and Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, accompanied by the figures of Saint John and Saint Veronica. This procession culminates at noon in Cuatro Esquinas Square, place in which numerous saeteros sing to this gorgeous figures. When the small bells ring, they symbolize Jesus Christ falling with the Holy Cross on top of him.
On Holy Friday night, the Hermandad del Cristo de la Juventud procession takes place, known by its exquisite order. This brotherhood carries on shoulders the figure of the Crucified, that is moved in Via Crucis. On Saturday, it is the Santo Entierro procession the one that accompanies the figure of María Santísima de los Dolores.
The same day, with the figure of Virgen de la Soledad, the Silencio procession takes place, it begins from the Vera Cruz shrine, and in it, nazarenes from every brotherhood participate. It performs the contrary route than the Santo Entierro. On Easter Sunday, Ntro. Padre Jesús Resucitado brotherhood and Sra. Reina de los Ángeles go on procession, carried by brotherhood’s costaleros.
ART SUR FESTIVAL – ARTE EN ACCIÓN
While ago, in June, Montemayor is the headquarters of this festival, ART SUR – ARTE EN ACCIÓN. Its function is to reach contemporary art to the residents of the town and all its visitors. In its various editions, permanents installations and works of art have been carried out in Montemayor’s city centre and other nearby places, in both urban and rural areas.
In the two past editions more than 60 arranged to meet in Montemayor, national and international, and they chose topics such as ‘Mythology’ and ‘Gestalt’ (2022). ART SUR Festival is an enormous project that Montemayor City Council has put faith in, with the aim of promoting knowledge about contemporary art in the town. Montemayor has become a ‘town – museum’ where to enjoy monuments, history and modern art.
We invite you discover how a village with more than 2000 years of history lives through artistic creations and contemporary art. In June, you can not miss it!. You can not miss it!
PAXERA
Paxera is a new festival that has been developed for several years now, whose main objective is to public Montemayor’s star product: Pedro Ximénez sweet wine. In the environment where the biggest raisin field is located (raisins are put on the ground to be dried), all sorts of activities are carried out to let know how one of the most genuine wines in the world is made.
Paxera Festival begins in September, in Montemayor’s fairground. A great tent that accommodates stands is set. Inside it, products and craftworks related to sweet wine and pastry-making are exhibited and sold, an entertainment and catering area, play park, a stage where to present and perform during the event, as well as a PX Classroom, in which training activities are carried out.
Paxera is an unwavering commitment for Pedro Ximénez sweet wine, which is squeezed from the best raisins, in the biggest raisin field in the world, with a millenary extraction process and Montemayor’s distinguishing mark.
MONTEMAYOR ESTABLISHMENT
Montemayor establishment commemorates the granting of the Carta Puebla that, during the 14th Century is given to Adelantado Mayor de la Frontera, Mr. Martín Alonso of Córdoba, to Castilla’s King, Alfonso the First. In this Carta Puebla legitimacy is given to populate and build a fortress on a hill where long years ago, Ulia, the Roman town was settled, location of ‘monte maior’.
The objective was to equip the frontier with the biggest defense against the Emirate of Granada, due to another town, Dos Hermanas, had become a very unsafe place. This way, old Ulia is repopulated by emigrants from Dos Hermanas, town that is located 6 kilometres from Montemayor, and also by people from all corners of the kingdom.
Montemayor Establishment is an enhancing of the cultural and social heritage, and a festival in which visitors can trace back to the origin of our country.
Montemayor’s inhabitants and people from the nearby towns gathers in this festival, which claims to retrieve this village’s history.. In it, different associations of the village take action:
- The Horns and Drums band leads the parade that announces the arrival to the new town.
- The neighborhood associations contributes with giants and cabezudos.
- Sociocultural workshops, with more than 130 children taking part, parade with banners with Montemayor’s surnames on it, and dancing groups to the Student band of Montemayor.
- AFAPAMONTE Association, dedicated to take care about people with Alzheimer’s disease, parades bringing and inviting the town to pastries elaborated previously to its march.
The neighbours join in to the parade with suits that are tailored in a previous workshop jto sew this 14th Century dresses. With Andalusian dances, they accompany the procession to the Plaza de Armas, close Montemayor’s castle, where a popular banquet with roasted pig is celebrated.
For several days, activities to spread the cultural, historic and artistic heritage of Montemayor are celebrated. Guided tours are offered and Ulia’s Museum opens with extended hours. Visits to Castillo de Dos Hermanas are made, with its medieval origin as well. The Consistory has invested to bring to light this origin for several years.
MONTEMAYOR ESTABLISHMENT is an one-off event, with a unique personality, in and out of Montemayor. We invite you to discover it.
