Valencia Trader

Moors and Christians Cocentaina

The celebrations start with the night called Nit de l’Olla, in which filaes or groups - Moors and Christians - with their musical bands come together and give their rendition of the hymn of the fiesta in the square known as El Pla, and then a supper of the typical Olleta Contestana is to be had.

The following day the “Embassy of the Contraband” takes place and in the afternoon high point of the fiesta: the magnificent Entrance of the Moors and the Christians that parades through the streets from the Passeig del Comtat to the square of  El Pla.

Patron Saint’s Day,  the most outstanding act of which is the Solemn Procession in which the people of the town together with the statue and relic of San Hipólito parade through the streets and at night the popular Retreta (“Tattoo”) is celebrated in which all the groups march cheerfully in an easy-going nocturnal mounted procession.

The fiesta comes to an end with the Day of the Alardo:  in the morning the Estafeta del Moro (Running of the Moor) takes place in which the surrender of the Town to the Christian Captain is requested and on being turned down the Embassy and the Alardo  take place, the Moorish band coming out victorious. At midday the singular “Embassy of the Tomatoes” takes place, which consists in a fight between participants and spectators in which very ripe tomatoes are thrown at each other. In the afternoon, with the Estafeta and the Christian Embassy, the Christian band manages to recover the town after which comes the thanksgiving and the transferral of the Patron Saint  to the Iglesia del Salvador (“Church of the Saviour”).

The most important act of this Tourist National Interest festival, is the magnificient entrance of Moors and Christians, Saturday 9th.