Moors and Christians of Villena

TheMoors and Christiansfestival inVillena, Spain (Spanish:Moros y Cristianos), is celebrated from 4th to 9th September in honour ofNuestra Señora de las Virtudes, (Our Lady of the Virtues), patron saint of the city and Advocate against the Plague. This festival has been declared aFestival of National Tourist Interest.With approximately 15,000 participants in the main parades, who dress as Moors, soldiers, warriors, farmers, etc., the Moors and Christians festivity of Villena is noted as having a high participation level among similar festivals in Spain.14 "Comparsas"(musical groups) take part in the festivities, half of whom belong to the Moorish side and the others to the Christian side. They go on a pilgrimage in honour of the Virgin of La Morenica, as the Virgin Mary is referred to in the region.
Parades such asLa Entrada(The Entrance Parade) on September 5 orLa Cabalgata Nocturna(the Great Night Parade) on September 6, can last for 7 or 8 hours. These parades involve a significant portion of the local population and bring together up to 120 marching and music bands from various regions of southeastern Spain.
Its origin dates back to 1474, when theVirgen de las Virtudes(Our Lady of the Virtues), was proclaimed patroness of the town and protector againstthe Plague.
The current Moors and Christians Festival is the result of the merger of three different festivals
"Las Embajadas" (the Embassies) plays consists of a series of old plays, of which the current version was written between 1810 and 1815. In them, an ambassador presents aparliamentto the defenders of the castle of the city, theAtalaya Castle. The dialogue escalates, revealing the intentions of taking the fortress. After a battle witharquebuses, the invading army takes the castle. The roles are reversed two days later.
In Villena, there are 14 comparsas or associations: seven of them are from the Moorish 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), andPiratas(Pirates).
Christian side:Estudiantes(Students),Marinos Corsarios(Corsair Sailors),Andaluces(Andalusians),Labradores(Farmers),Ballesteros(Crossbowmen),Almogávares(Almogavars), andCristianos(Christians).
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. In eachcomparsa, the number of special squads has been limited to one per every hundred participants to preserve traditional costumes in the parades, and their new costumes are worn for the first time every year on the day ofLa Entradaparade.
These costumes are created and produced inVillena, promoted by the same groups that will later wear them for the first time. After the festival they rent those special costumes 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.