article_detail
  • CONTACT
  • ADVERTISE WITH US

  • Home
  • Spanish News
  • Covid 19
  • Property News
  • Motoring
    & Travel
    • All Motoring & Travel News
    • Driving In Spain
    • Spanish Motoring Laws
  • lifestyle
  • Travel & Tourism
  • Art & Culture
EDITIONS: Murcia Today Alicante Today Andalucia Today
article_detail

Feria y Fiestas de San Bartolomé, Cieza


Fiestas and fair in honour of Saint Bartholomew and fair.

Festivities to celebrate the Patron Saint’s day of Cieza, San Bartolomé, take place between the 24th and 31st August.

This is a big week for Cieza, with a lot of activities and events taking place to entertain both the locals and visitors who visit the town specifically for these dates.

The origins of Cieza´s San Bartolomé Fair and Festivities

Cieza started life in its current format in the middle of the XIII century, when Murcia became the property of Feria y Fiestas de San Bartolomé, CiezaAlfonso X el Sabio, following the Christian Reconquist.  Prior to this the settlement had been in the Moorish town Medina Siyâsa, high above the current location.

The Ermita del Patrono San Bartolomé (church of the Patron Saint Bartolome) was built during the first twenty years of the creation of the town.  
Records show that the first fairs took place in the XIV century in Cieza.

The devotion to San Bartolome, dates back to the end of the XV century and there are records dating back to 1579 during the reign of Felipe II which show that this devotion had  become established in the last quarter of this century , with the popularity of the saint continuing to grow during the XVII and XVIII, aided by miracles.

Chapter XXIV of Monk Pascual Salmerón´s book “la Historia de Cieza” describes the “miraculous sweating of the image of Saint Bartolomé, the patron of Cieza, whilst battling with a mighty cloud”.

The legend relates that on 25th August 1722, the people of Cieza were in the town square observing the patron saint’s day of Saint Bartolomé when suddenly a violent thunder storm occurred and the townspeople were forced to take refuge in the church.  The people prayed and asked their patron to protect them and were, according to the legend, amazed to witness the image of the saint visibly sweating water 5 times before the storm subsided.

The monk recorded: ...por lo mucho que había trabajado el santo en defensa de su devoto pueblo. (..”how hard must the Saint have had to work to defend his devoted people”)

The fiestas in something resembling their present form in honour of San Bartolomé began in the 19th century, although at this time the fair was not part of the fiesta celebrations.

The fair traditionally took place from 16th to 23rd August with a mostly commercial nature, followed by the celebrations of Saint Bartolome on the 24th August.

At this point bull runs in the streets were very popular, but in 1755 these were stopped by the crown due to the number of accidents that regularly took place.  It took 40 years of pressure from the townspeople before the monarch would agree to reinstate the custom, the Ciezans claiming they deserved this privilege after a year of hard toil.  Finally they were granted three bull runs during the San Bartolome festivities as long as they were not “bulls or cows of death.”

Current Times

In recent times, the fair and festivities in honour of Saint Bartolomé have become one of the most important and popular in the region of Murcia whilst at the same time ancient traditions have been resurrected.

The traditional Misa Huertana (country mass) was started in 1984 in the Basílica de la Asunción and involves participants dressed in traditional regional dress making a floral and fruit offering to the patron.

Since 1996, the Hermandad de San Bartolomé (Brotherhood of Saint Bartolome) has organised the opening speeches( pregón) of the Feria y Fiestas de San Bartolomé.  Each year, on the 15th August the speeches take place at the doors of the Basílica de la Asunción after the procession of the patron saint.

1998 saw the introduction of the theatrical production of Crónica y Leyenda de una invasión anunciada, a play by Carmen Carrillo, narrating the historical events which took place in Cieza on 7th April 1477 as well as the Asociación Cauce.  The tradition of blessing the fields and orchards of Cieza by Saint Bartolome has also been restored in recent years.

One particular event has achieved international fame, namely the  Concurso Internacional de Lanzamiento de Huesos de Oliva (The International Olive Spitting Competition) which attracts more and more visitors each year and has lead the way for this contest to extend to other parts of Spain and abroad.

There are a wide number of associated activities and events, making the fiestas a popular choice for visitors to, and residents of, the region. See the dedicated Cieza section nearer the time for the annual programme.


article_detail

Tourist Info and places to visit
Guided tours of the Prehistoric..

Rutas de Patrimonio (Heritage routes) Available from Stipa Tours (email info@stipaturismo.com, telephone 658 641101..

Cueva del Arco in Cieza, prehistoric art and a site which was..
El Paseo de Cieza
Via Ferreta climbing route Cieza
Walking/cycling routes
New Via Verde greenway along Cieza..

A new 10km hiking and cycling route is being built along the old Calasparra-Cieza railtrack Work on the new Ví..

Cycling, walking, driving route 2, Cieza routes
10km walking/cycling route, leaving from Cieza town
Driving route of Cieza to see La Floración
Fiestas and traditions
Carnival in Cieza

Carnival is a popular custom in Cieza before the onset of lent Carnaval (Carnival is spelt carnaval in Spain) is a Spanish..

Lumbres de san Antón (Fires of Saint Anthony) Cieza
Cieza, Epiphany, Three Kings and Auto de los Reyes Magos
Cieza, Semana Santa
Historical background
Cueva del Arco in Cieza, prehistoric..

The Cieza caves may help explain how and why the Neanderthals died out The Cueva del Arco in Cieza is a spectacular..

History of Cieza
The Argarics in Murcia
The Order of Santiago in Murcia
Religious Cieza
Ermita de San Bartolomé, Cieza..

The hermitage of San Bartolome, Cieza The hermitage of San Bartolome, which is still in use today, is thought to be the..

Iglesia y Convento de San Joaquín y San Pascual, Cieza
Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, Cieza
Ermita del santo Cristo del Consuelo
Restaurants and Accommodation
Accommodation in Cieza

Hotels and Casas rurales, ideal for larger groups to rent There are a mixture of accommodation possibilities in Cieza..

Cieza Restaurants
Ciezan olives, the Oliva Mollar de Cieza
Melocotón de Cieza, the peaches of Cieza
Cultural and Community Venues
Teatro Capitol Cieza

The Capitol theatre in Cieza The Teatro Capitol de Cieza was originally opened in 1955, but closed at the beginning of..

El Paseo de Cieza
Plaza de España, Cieza
Casa de las Artes, Cieza
Local News and Whats on
New Via Verde greenway along Cieza..

A new 10km hiking and cycling route is being built along the old Calasparra-Cieza railtrack Work on the new Ví..

article_detail
Contact Murcia Today: Editorial 966 260 896 / Office 968 018 268
Direct Payment | Terms And Conditons | Privacy Policy | Legal | About Us | Advertise With Us


To be listed on the CAMPOSOL TODAY MAP please call +34 968 018 268.
To be listed on the CONDADO TODAY MAP please call +34 968 018 268.
Guidelines for submitting articles to Camposol Today

Hello, and thank you for choosing CamposolToday.com to publicise your organisation’s info or event.

Camposol Today is a website set up by Murcia Today specifically for residents of the urbanisation in Southwest Murcia, providing news and information on what’s happening in the local area, which is the largest English-speaking expat area in the Region of Murcia.

When submitting text to be included on Camposol Today, please abide by the following guidelines so we can upload your article as swiftly as possible:

Send an email to editor@camposoltoday.com or contact@murciatoday.com

Attach the information in a Word Document or Google Doc

Include all relevant points, including:

Who is the organisation running the event?

Where is it happening?

When?

How much does it cost?

Is it necessary to book beforehand, or can people just show up on the day?

…but try not to exceed 300 words

Also attach a photo to illustrate your article, no more than 100kb