Moros y Cristianos

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Elaborate costumes and props

Moros y Cristianos ( Castilian ) or Moros i Cristians ( Valencian ), Moors and Christians , are fiestas with a historical background that are celebrated in many areas of Spain , but especially in the Autonomous Region of Valencia .

The fiestas take place in memory of the Reconquista and the fighting between Moorish and Christian troops between the 8th and 15th centuries. The attacks by North African pirates ( corsairs ) on the Mediterranean coast are also less common, for example in Port de Sóller on Mallorca .

course

Entry of the Moors ( El Campello )

The dramaturgy of the fiestas consists in the conquest of a city by the Moors and their reconquest by the Christians. The performance of the Chimo forms the prelude, z. B. after the symbolic capture of the town hall of Ontinyent by the Moors. The participants of the fiestas are organized in filaes or comparsas . These groups represent Christian or Moorish troops. The performers of the Christians wear costumes based on medieval robes such as metal armor with fur trimmings and helmets. They often ride horses during the parades.

Ranks of Christians ( Elda )

The Moors performers appear in Arab costumes with sabers and sometimes ride camels or elephants during the parades. The multi-day festivals include parades, gunfire, fireworks and medieval music. A simulated battle for a castle usually forms the climax of the fiesta, which ends when the commander of the Moors surrenders to the Christians.

places

According to the festival association Undef, there are around 400 such events throughout Spain . Most of them have been made since the 1970s.

The most famous Moors and Christians spectacle takes place annually in April in Alcoy . This is where St. George is remembered, who, according to a legend, appeared during the battle against the Moors and came to the aid of the Christians.

Landing of the Moors in front of the city of Villajoyosa

Moros-y-Cristianos fiestas are also worth seeing in the villages of Villajoyosa and El Campello (there the landings of the Moors are re-enacted with ships), Villena , where around 12,000 amateur actors take part, Biar , Cocentaina , Crevillent , El Campello, Elda , Muro d'Alcoi , Ontinyent , Pego , Altea , Orihuela , Petrer , Guardamar del Segura and in some areas of Alicante . The oldest Moros-y-Cristianos spectacle has taken place in Caudete (Albacete province) since 1588.

Others

The Imam of Malaga , Félix Herrero , caused a discussion in 2006 , who called for the abolition of the fiestas as a denigration of Islam. Others, such as the chairman of the festival association Undef , Francisco López Pérez, tend to emphasize the unifying character of the festivals. Components that can be seen as a denigration of religious symbols - such as the crescent moon - were largely banned from Fiesta programs at the beginning of the 21st century.

literature

Web links

Commons : Moros y Cristianos  - album with pictures, videos and audio files