The Feria de San Bernabe is Marbella’s annual festival held in June each year. Originally, it was to celebrate the Reconquista, or Reconquest, the overthrow of the Moors by the combined armies of Ferdinand and Isabella, in the 15th century. That is long forgotten, it’s now a week long party for eating and drinking, dancing, dressing up and generally having a good time. However, it does start on a serious note with the Romeria. A Romeria is a Catholic pilgrimage, originally to Rome but now to any religious place. In this case to the Ermita de Santa Patron in Nagueles.
This pilgrimage starts at the Casa Hermandad Romeros de San Bernabe, the (House of the Brotherhood of Pilgrims of Saint Barnabas). How you become a brother goodness only knows but if you are one you get a matching white polo shirt and a medallian to wear around your neck, with a different colour cord to signify your seniority. I’ve come across lots of brotherhoods in Spain but no “sisterhoods” that’s how it is here.
It all starts about 8.30am with thick hot chocolate and churros for everyone, complements of the Feria Committee. Churros are a type of doughnut mixture queezed out a tube and into hot oil where it sets in a coil. Smothered in sugar it is cut into lengths with a big scissors and handed out to everyone not on a diet!
About 9.30am a pair of reluctant oxen are joined to a two wheel cart bedecked with flowers, their horns lashed to the yoke. The brothers sing a song , their banner is placed in the cart and off they go to the village of Nagueles a couple of hours away. Holy Mass follows and an afternoon of fun. The day ends with a Gran Novillada in the Plaza de Toros, a bullfight to you and me, when “four brave young bulls” are sacrificed. What a great shame that four beautiful animals have to suffer and die for fun – and on a day of pilgrimage too!
Not a good day or location for photographs. By 9am the sun was high, the temperature was in the high 20s and the crowds made it quite difficult – but I did find a pretty girl!