Moors and Christians of Villena

The Moors and Christians of Villena (Spanish: Moros y Cristianos de Villena), is a Marian patronal festival held annually in Villena, Spain, from 4 to 9 September. The festival is celebrated annually in honor of Nuestra Señora de las Virtudes (Our Lady of the Virtues), an invocation of Mary, who serves as the city's patron saint and guardian against the Plague.

A Moor comparsa at La Entrada parade in Villena

The festival in Villena has been declared a Festival of National Tourist Interest in Spain.^[1] Involving approximately 15,000 participants, With approximately 15,000 participants, it is one of the largest Moors and Christians festivals in Spain.^[2] The festival involves a high number of local participants relative to other Moors and Christians events in Spain.^[3][4][5] The procession features 14 Comparsas (musical groups), half of which belong to a Moorish side and the other half to a Christian side, all dedicated to the Virgin of La Morenica, a local title for the Virgin Mary.

The main events of the festival take place from 5 to 9 September, with preliminary activities beginning on 4 September. Parades such as La Entrada (the Entrance Parade), held on the September 5th, or La Cabalgata Nocturna (the Great Night Parade) on September 6th, can last as long as seven or eight hours. Approximately 120 local and regional marching musical bands, from various regions of south-eastern Spain, also take part in the festivities.^[3]

History

The festival's origin dates back to 1474, when the Virgen de las Virtudes (Virgin of the Virtues) was proclaimed patroness of the town and its protector against the Plague.^[6]

In its current form, the Moors and Christians Festival is a combination of three separate types of festivities:

First Embassy play in the Atalaya Castle.

• Patron Saint Festival: a religious event consisting of processions accompanying a statue of the Virgin Mary.
• Military Festival: or Alarde, originated in the creation of the Militia of the Kingdom, later called soldiery, which participated in the Patronal Festival. This influence can be seen in La Entrada of the current festival, which consists of a parade in which all the festeros (celebrants) stand in formation, grouped by comparsa in full costume and advancing to the rhythm of Moorish marches, Christian marches, or pasodobles composed for the festivities.
• History Play and/or Reenactment: metaphorical evocation of various episodes of Spanish history. The festival features embassies, guerrillas, shooting, landing, conversions of the Moors to Christianity, and other historical motifs similarly resonant in the cultural memory.

Las Embajadas (the Embassies) plays consist of a series of plays, of which the current version was written between 1810 and 1815. The plot revolves around an ambassador attempting to negotiate with the defenders of the city's castle, the Atalaya Castle in Villena. The dialogue escalates, revealing the ambassador's intentions of taking the fortress. After a battle with arquebuses, the invading army takes the castle. The roles are reversed two days later.^[7][3][6]

The Comparsas

Comparsa of Moros Nuevos in 1884.

Comparsa of Moros Nazaríes marching on La Entrada parade.

Squad from the Comparsa of Cristianos.

In Villena, there are 14 comparsas or associations: seven of them are from the Moorish side and seven from the Christian side:

Moorish side: Moros Viejos (Ancient Moors), Moros Nuevos (New Moors), Bando Marroquí (Moroccan Band), Moros Realistas (Royalist Moors), Moros Nazaríes (Nazarite Moors), Moros Bereberes (Berber Moors), and Piratas (Pirates).

Moros Viejos (Ancient Moors)	Moros Nuevos (New Moors)	Bando Marroquí (Moroccan Band)	Moros Realistas (Royalist Moors)	Moros Nazaríes (Nazarite Moors)	Moros Bereberes (Berber Moors)	Piratas (Pirates)

Christian side: Estudiantes (Students), Marinos Corsarios (Corsair Sailors), Andaluces (Andalusians), Labradores (Farmers), Ballesteros (Crossbowmen), Almogávares (Almogavars), and Cristianos (Christians).

Estudiantes (Students)	Marinos Corsarios (Corsair Sailors)	Andaluces (Andalusians)	Labradores (Farmers)	Ballesteros (Crossbow- men)	Almogávares (Almogavars)	Cristianos (Christians)

Special Squads and Costume Industry

A feminine Special Squad.
La Entrada parade, 2009

Interest in the historical authenticity of the costumes has grown through the proliferation of so-called special squads (Escuadras Especiales), a phenomenon that has spread in the second half of the 20th century.^{[citation needed]} In each comparsa, the number of special squads has been limited to one per every one hundred participants to preserve traditional costumes in the parades, and their new costumes are worn for the first time every year on the day of La Entrada parade.^{[citation needed]}

These special costumes are created and produced in Villena by the groups who wear them during the festival. After the event, the costumes are rented to squads from other towns to help recoup costs. Since the 1970s, a local costume-making industry has developed, leading to the organization of specialized fairs related to footwear, leather goods, textiles, precious stones, metals, and other crafts involved in the festival.^[8] After the festival, these special costumes are rented to squads from other towns to help recoup some of their costs. As a result, a costume industry has developed in Villena since the 1970s, leading to the creation of jobs and the organization of specialized fairs, particularly for footwear, leather goods, precious stones, textiles, metals, makeup, and other crafts related to the festival.^[3][9]

See also

• Moros y cristianos
• Villena