It is not often we are in Andalucia at the time of Corpus Christi, with Easter falling early this year this “moveable” feast day conveniently occurs whilst we are here for some early Summer sun and the Marbella Feria.
Corpus Christi, (the Body of Christ), celebrates the Eucharist and the fundamental belief held by Catholics (and some other Christian faiths) that during the Mass the host (bread) is transformed into the Body of Christ. Always falling on a Thursday, the feast is now celebrated mostly on the following Sunday when more of the faithful can participate.
We set off at 7.30am from our house in Nueva Andalucia, on a beautiful early Summer’s morning, heading towards Ronda and the mountains beyond. The road to Ronda is quite spectacular. After a short while we had passed the industrial estates of San Pedro and the numerous urbanisation that straddle the road. There are normally several opportunities to glimpse the breathtaking views towards Gibraltar, the coast of Morocco and the Rift Mountains. Unfortunately today, sea mists caused by the recent hot spell have reduced visibility considerably. The road to Ronda is a fine engineering achievement that has brought greater prosperity and tourists to Ronda and the mountain villages. Hanging to the side of the mountains most of the way, the metal barriers providing considerable comfort, it’s bend after bend with few opportunities to pass. There are several opportunities to stop however, to admire the views of the wooded mountains interlaced with ancient goat tracks and several white villages builts centuries ago by the invading Moors – but we keep going. It’s a quiet morning on the road and we soon reach the summit and it’s momentary moonscape appearance before dropping down towards Ronda. Taking the new bypass we are soon past the town and climbing into the mountains. We turn off the Jerez road towards Grazalama (the wettest place in Spain) and Zahara is soon visible on a hill in the distance, unmistakable with the Nasrid’s castle perched above it. Our only distraction was a large snake on the road that I needed to avoid. We arrive, park and make our way uphill – and what a hill, to the village center whilst listening to the brass band limbering up in the distance.
It was much like any other pueblo blanco until we turned a corner and walked through a stone archway into the main square. It seemed that the whole village was out preparing for the event later in the morning. Unlike anywhere else where Corpus Christi is celebrated, the walls of all the houses on the procession route are covered with branches, reeds and flowers with only the front doors visible at ground floor level and cobble streets are covered with coarse grass. As the vegetation is being arranged in the streets, outside some houses, families are busy preparing little altars with candlesticks and religious pieces, the reason for which becomes apparent later. From windows and balconies women are hanging lace and embroidered cloths and tapestries under the artistic direction of a husband in the street below. Time now for a cafe con leche and the servicios. The first bar was packed but we find some space at our next attempt. It’s not 9.30am and already the party has commenced as coffee, beers and extremely large measures of brandy and anisette are taken to the tables.
Never believe the time you are told events start in Spain. Yesterday I telephoned the owner of a small hotel in the main square, 50 meters from the church. What time does the procession start manyana I enquired – in my perfectly bad Spanish. 10am he replied, without even having to think about it. Today, as we were walking from our car to the square I asked two ladies sitting outside their front doors the same question, 11am or 11.30am they said. Mass started at 12 noon and the procession an hour or so later. Such is Spain.
The 18c baroque church of Santa Maria de Mesa was much smaller than it appeared from outside, which goes some way to explain why the locals guarded their positions beside the door until the given moment and they were allowed in. We managed to get two of the last seats available. It is a pretty church, the main and two side altars all have beautiful gilded carved wooden screens, it is spotlessly clean and bedecked with flowers for the occasion. Mass passed by with no surprises, there was no organ or piano but the congregation of mostly women sang beautifully throughout. When mass was over the large Host was placed inside the silver monstrance, the flower girls in their immaculate first communion dresses rush into position and the procession moves out of the church to the awaiting canopy, brass band, quite a large crowd and by now a very hot day.
The procession moved slowly along it’s route, stopping at those small altars that we saw being prepared earlier in the day. To the obvious delight of the families concerned the priest stops at each one, places the monstrance on the table, incenses it and appears to bless the house and the occupants as rose petals rain down on him from windows and balconies above. This was repeated numerous times until the circular route returned them to the church where it all started. The procession ended with Benediction back at the church. We decided to miss this and head back home to the coast, stopping for a snack on route.
If you decide to visit Zahara some time in the future bear in mind that there are two Zaharas in the province of Cadiz. You want Zahara de la Sierra (mountains) not Zahara de los Atunes (tuna). The latter is a small fishing community from where the tuna fleet sail into the atlantic. You will however find there some of the best unspoiled beaches on the Costa de la Luz.
The landscape photograph of the village is not mine as I forgot to take one, I pinched it from the internet. We will be near Zahara later this week and I will take a photo and replace it.