Corpus Christi, Intangible Cultural Heritage of Spain

Description

The feast of Corpus Christi is one of the most widespread and diverse expressions of festive ritual in Andalusia; however, each town expresses in its own particular way the arrangement of processional retinues and landmarks, and the decoration of the various elements involved in the ceremony.

This festive ritual in the municipalities of Villacarrillo and Villardompardo has developed as a response to the surrounding environment, in interaction with nature and local history, standing out for its age and for the high degree of community involvement. This neighbourly collaboration is expressed both in the preparations and throughout the day of celebration, and fosters cohesion, integration and unity within these communities.

Particularly noteworthy is the dedication and effort shown by residents of both municipalities in decorating their streets and creating their distinctive carpets and altars. This is a collective effort based on an organisational system in which the entire population takes part, regardless of gender or age.

In both cases, the motifs chosen for the decoration of the carpets, altars and hangings are Eucharistic in theme and are agreed upon among the residents of each street. Marquetry or iron moulds, among others, may be used for the designs. The hangings or aerial decorations can be made using various types of fabric — in the style of canopies — as well as card or paper. Imaginative carpets and ephemeral altars are created, along with plant-based street decorations using sedges, ferns, rosemary, branches, flowers, palm leaves and more. "Old", everyday household items are brought out of storage, such as plates, jugs and pitchers, and pots placed on wrought-iron stands.

Equally notable is the ingenuity with which the people of Villacarrillo and Villardompardo create the carpets and altars set up along the route taken by the processional retinue. This collective creativity has become one of the main features distinguishing the Corpus Christi festival in each of these towns from that of other Andalusian localities.

This is an ephemeral art form that innovates with each edition, using all kinds of recycled, plant-based and everyday materials, which, after long hours of work, are given an original religious meaning.

The level of community organisation is very similar in both municipalities, but in the case of Villacarrillo, the setting changes every year. The procession follows a different route each time, although the starting point remains constant, and the route always ends at the Parish Church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, while the streets and squares near the church chosen for the occasion are decorated with the numerous altars set up both by residents and by the local brotherhoods.