If there is a date marked in red in the calendar of the Community of Madrid, it is undoubtedly the 15th of May, the day of San Isidro Labrador, patron saint of all the people of Madrid. Around this day there are countless festivals all over the city that last several days and are closely related to water. If you want to know more about them, read on.<\/p>\n
Saint Isidro Labrador was born in Madrid, according to all historical sources, on 4 April 1082. Throughout his life, he was said to have the skills of a dowser, i.e. he had the gift of easily finding underground water springs that made life easier for his fellow citizens at the time.<\/p>\n
Because of this gift, it did not take long for God-given magical powers to be conferred on both the springs and himself. His fame spread throughout the territory until the time of his death on 30 November 1172. It is undoubtedly this recognition that has made it possible for all this information to be known so accurately today.<\/p>\n
After his death his body was buried in the Church of San Andr\u00e9s, from where the people of Madrid used to take him out in procession in order to invoke rain. He remained there until 1528, when Juan de Vargas ordered the construction of a chapel in his honour in which his remains would rest and to which his devotees would come every year to pay tribute.<\/p>\n
The reason why these festivities are held on 15 May is due to the fact that this was the day on which he was honoured after his beatification in 1619. Subsequently, in 1669, his remains were transferred to the chapel of San Isidro and to the royal chamber of the Imperial College by order of Charles III.<\/p>\n
Undoubtedly, the most important event associated with these festivities is the pilgrimage that takes place on 15 May every year. The people of Madrid go to the meadow just in front of the Ermita de San Isidro, a place where they have been going for more than 400 years. Tradition has it that they should walk along the slope of the Vega and then along Segovia Street to end up kissing the remains of the saint and drinking from the spout of the fountain while reciting the following verses:<\/p>\n
\u201cSan Isidro hermoso, patron saint of Madrid, you made the water of the cliff come out\u201d.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nowadays, the locals gather in the meadow and take the opportunity to drink water from the nearby springs and, above all, from the water that flows from the hermitage itself, to which magical and curative powers are attributed, and to have a snack.<\/p>\n
Snacks on 15 May usually consist of Rosquillas del Santo. There are several types. On the one hand, there are the silly<\/i>, which have nothing to cover them. On the other hand, there are the lists<\/i>, which are coated in fondant sugar made from beaten egg, lemon juice and sugar. The other desserts are the French<\/i>, which are coated with almonds, and those of Santa Clara<\/i>, which are coated with dry white meringue.<\/p>\n
As for drinks, in addition to spring water, on this date the people of Madrid usually choose to accompany the Rosquillas del Santo with \u2018chicos\u2019 from Valdepe\u00f1as, i.e. small glasses of this type of wine, beer with lemon and lemonade.<\/p>\n
The area around the meadow is usually filled with stalls selling typical Madrilenian delicacies, such as fried chicken, entresijo and pickles. In addition, a giant cocido madrile\u00f1o is usually prepared, which is usually handed out and blessed by the mayor of the day. It is also common for there to be live music so that the participants, dressed as chulapos, can dance the chotis.<\/p>\n
Each year the dates corresponding to the Fiestas de San Isidro Labrador vary, although it is true that they always include the 15th of May as it is the specific day of the patron saint. In this sense, they begin with the Official Proclamation, which is carried out by an illustrious Madrile\u00f1o. Then, the first place where events take place, generally concerts, is in the Plaza Mayor. This is mainly due to the fact that it was inaugurated to coincide with the patron saint's festivities.<\/p>\n
Another focal point of the Fiestas de San Isidro is Las Vistillas, an area where it is common to find, during these days, small-scale music festivals designed mainly for young audiences. The same happens in Puerta del \u00c1ngel.<\/p>\n
It is also worth mentioning that on the evening of the 14th and, above all, 15th May, fireworks displays are held in the Retiro Park Pond in Madrid to commemorate the festivities, generally accompanied by music. This ends up producing an absolutely spectacular effect on the water that many Madrilenians do not want to miss, although it is not easy to get to the area.<\/p>\n
It is also common for concerts and musical shows to be held in the Templo de Debod, in the Rosaleda del Parque del Oeste and in the Plaza de Olavide, although they tend to vary from year to year. This is mainly due to the fact that the festivities cover the whole city of Madrid from end to end and all the neighbourhoods want to feel part of it.<\/p>\n
In short, this is everything you need to know about the Fiestas de San Isidro Labrador, which are held every year in the city of Madrid around 15 May. We hope we have helped you to understand the importance of this historical figure and his relationship with water, as well as the devotion that the inhabitants of the capital feel for him and where you should go if you want to make the most of the events organised.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Si hay una fecha marcada en rojo dentro del calendario de la Comunidad de Madrid esa es, sin lugar a dudas, el 15 de mayo, es decir, el d\u00eda de San Isidro Labrador, patr\u00f3n de todos los madrile\u00f1os. En torno a \u00e9l se realizan infinidad de fiestas por toda la ciudad que duran varios d\u00edas […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":818,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-816","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-noticias-de-madrid","category-que-hacer-en-madrid"],"yoast_head":"\n