If there is one thing that characterizes the month of August in Maestrazgo, it is the large number of towns that celebrate their patron saint festivals.
Every weekend you can enjoy festivals in one or another village. The first are those of Abenfigo, Molinos, Cuevas de Cañart and Mirambel, the first weekend of the month, and from then on it is non-stop: those of Castellote, Las Planas, Dos Torres, Bordón, Ladruñán, Fortanete, Miravete de la Sierra, Cañada de Benatanduz, La Cuba and Luco de Bordón are distributed in the middle of the month, to finish with those of Villarluengo and Cantavieja.
Not all the patron saint festivals are in August. At the end of July Allepuz and Villarroya de los Pinares celebrated them, and at the beginning of September it is the turn of La Iglesuela del Cid and Tronchón. The later ones are those of Pitarque, which take place in October.
Each one has its own peculiarities, but there are many common elements: charangas, verbenas (or dancing, as they say here) and discos, popular meals or dinners, rondallas of jota and dance, various contests and a long etc.. In addition, we must not forget the religious events in honor of the patron saints of each town, with colorful masses, floral offerings or processions.
But if there is an undisputed protagonist in many of them, it is the bull, run in bullfights or as an “embolado” bull. The towns are closed with barriers to begin with the running of the bulls, where the youngsters tempt the cows as they go to the bullpens. In the afternoon, the cows are run and the “test of the bull” is held, to enjoy the onslaught of the animal that, when night falls, will be “embolado” and released through the streets of the town.
Other activities that you can enjoy in some of the towns are parades of floats with the representatives of children and youth or with the costumed peñas, foam parties, street shows, fireworks, fire shows, etc.
Particularly interesting in Mirambel is the afternoon that the Rolde is danced, a traditional folk dance that every Sunday of the festivities is danced by the quintos, or young people of the town.
The September festivities are those celebrated around September 8, the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, celebrating the “Virgins appeared”, as is the case of the Virgen del Cid in the Iglesuela and the Virgen del Tremedal in Tronchón. Both have their own particularities, but they have a pilgrimage to the hermitage of their devotion, celebrating different acts. In Iglesuela, the dances of shepherdesses and gypsies performed by the young girls of the town that take place in the hermitage stand out, while in Tronchón, the welcome and farewell speeches that two children of the town dressed as angels recite to the Virgin at the entrance and exit of the town are very much awaited.
If you want to know a little more about the idiosyncrasy of the people of Maestrazgo you can not miss these moments of joy, brotherhood and enjoyment and participate in them. You won’t regret it. I’m sure you’ll have a great time!!!!
