Spain, especially the region of Murcia, features numerous annual celebrations that reflect the heart of the country’s different places and attract thousands of visitors each year. The Sanfermines of Pamplona and the Fallas of Valencia are two great examples of this.
Yet another great celebration is Caballos del Vino, an event that combines an ancient and iconic religious chapter with the area’s cultural heritage. This celebration involves a competition in which horses run down a slope to emulate what happened a thousand years ago, together with other events and activities that fill the city with joy and jubilee.
Below, we reveal the most important aspects of this majestic festival, which is covered in mysticism, colors, beautiful clothing, good food, and golden pieces of art. So, let’s discover the secrets of this traditional festivity.
Table of Contents:
- Caballos del Vino | An Event You Should Visit in the Murcia Region
- What Is Caballos del Vino?
- Where Does Caballos del Vino Take Place?
- What Is the History Behind the Caballos de Vino Celebration?
- Los Caballos del Vino Itinerary
- What Is the Casa de los Caballos del Vino?
- Enjoy Your Private Paradise in Villa Murcia!
- The Bottom Line
What Is Caballos del Vino?
Caballos del Vino – Wine Horses, in English — is a Spanish festival celebrated from May 1 to 2. This unique celebration is part of the festivities in honour of Las Fiestas en Honor a la Santísima y Vera Cruz, a crucial relic reflecting the town’s and its locals’ Christian spirit. This event, in particular, celebrates an ancient religious conflict between the Templars and the Moors of Granada. The Templars used horses to break the siege of Caravaca castle carried out by the Moors.
This festival is organized by the Bando de los Caballos del Vino, a federation made up of several groups of horse lovers called Peñas. Still, all the celebrations that take place over the three days attract thousands of people around the world. All people who attend the events participate vigorously in the celebrations. Crowds dressed in white shirts and red scarves watch exquisitely dressed horses and their handlers racing down the steep streets.
The vast majority of visitors arrive for only one day, May 2, to see the famous wine horse race, which takes place on the morning of the 2nd.
The festival has been part of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2020.
Where Does Caballos del Vino Take Place?
The Caballos del Vino celebration takes place in Caravaca de la Cruz, a small town in the region of Murcia, Spain. It is 60 kilometers west of Murcia, and you can easily get there by car, taking the first-class RM-15 road.
By car or taxi, you can reach Caravaca de la Cruz in forty minutes from Murcia International Airport. The city has everything you need for a magnificent stay alone or in company.
What Is the History Behind the Caballos de Vino Celebration?
This event gained a lot of popularity during the Middle Ages. At that time, the inhabitants of Caravaca de la Cruz began to celebrate that important date timidly. Over time, the event became held annually. At that time, locals made their way up to the church and castle atop the hill at 2:00 p.m., overlooking the town.
However, the celebration became what it is today in the 18th century. At that time, all events took place in the two days of celebration. At first, women made cloaks with quilts and trousseaus and then gave away the gold and silk cloaks, which may have cost thousands of euros.
Los Caballos del Vino Itinerary
Although this special occasion widely celebrates the horse race and most of the crowd comes to the city to see this event, other spectacles are worth seeing.
May 1
- Caballos a pelo (bareback horses). A jury assesses the bearing, coat, mane, movements, etc., of horses that participate in the festivities and races.
- Cloaks and harnesses. People can visit and witness special collections of cloaks and harnesses trainers use to cover their horses.
May 2
- Grooming and harnesses. Horses wander more than forty places in the city from day to night, allowing visitors to see every composition and art piece in detail.
- Fiesta Mayor a la Santísima y Vera Cruz de Caravaca. In this celebration, horses wander through the streets of the city in cloaks embroidered with gold and silk.
- Horse race. This famous horse race of the Caballos del Vino takes place in La Cuesta de la Simona and then in La Cuesta del Castillo (the castle entrance, which has a steep slope). In this race, horses run 80 meters with four trainers attached to their backs.
Children and Ponies
To the present day, children also play an important role during the holidays. Its inclusion is very important to maintain the tradition that has more than two hundred years of history. The children, accompanied by a pony, fulfill a role similar to that of parents and adults, participating in parades and walking with the animals through the town. However, children do not participate in the famous horse races and are not members of the Peñas.
What Is the Casa de los Caballos del Vino?
Caravaca de la Cruz boasts an important museum called Casa: Museo Caballos del Vino. This museum summarizes the festival’s history through different historical objects, such as harnesses and cloaks, and images, such as paintings and photographs. It is 300 meters west of the Castle of Caravaca de la Cruz.
The museum has two rooms for permanent and temporary exhibitions. The latter changes permanently to offer a unique perspective on the history of the city and the modifications in the celebration over the years.
The Casa de los Caballos del Vino also has a Tradition Room, which exhibits pieces dedicated to the Christian tradition.
Address: C.Gregorio Javier 21, 30400 Caravaca de la Cruz, Murcia, Spain
Telephone: +34 868 18 50 96
Google Plus Code: 445 Q+43 Caravaca de la Cruz, Spain
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The Bottom Line
Suppose you are enjoying a relaxing and cultural holiday in the Murcia region. In that case, you should visit Caravaca de la Cruz and the Caballos del Vino celebration in the first days of May. Get ready for a majestic event where tradition, Christian beliefs, wonderful horses, and magnificent pieces of cloaks, finery, and trimmings adorn the streets of the city. Come to one of the oldest celebrations in the region, where colors, joy, and cheers of joy flood the streets of Caravaca de la Cruz.