La Endiablada, Almonacid del Marquesado, Cuenca

Held on the 2nd - 3rd of February in Almonacid del Marquesado, Cuenca, La Endiablada, is a celebration of the Purification of the Virgin Mary, Virgin of the Candelaria and to honour the towns patron saint, San Blas.

Groups of men and children from the town form la endiablada, demon brotherhood. They dress dress in very colourful floral printed outfits, a bishop's mitre and in their hands they carry a truncheon or a piece of wood. They then strap on a leather harness and carry three large cow bells on there back that ring out as they move around to scare off Satan, distracting him with their exaggerated shows of emotion to keep him from attacking the purity of the Virgin Mary.

The fiesta has been held since the 13th century only men born in the town may join the brotherhood and therefore take part in one of Spain's weirdest festivals.

The whole la endiablada acts under the command of the Diablo Mayor (Head Devil) a position which is held for life and given to the eldest member of the group. In order to distinguish him, he is dressed up in red. This group, after several preliminary meetings acts on the day before the main celebrations, by go first to the house of the Diablo Mayor, from where they must always start their actions. From there they go to the mayor’s house where they are entertained and where they ask permission to act.

Once that is given, they take their first round of the town. On each day there is a morning procession where the devils precede the statue in two lines on either side of the street carrying clubs which they continually shake. As the procession makes its ways around the church the devils in turn or in groups run straight toward the statue with his arms outstretched in an exaggerated gesture. All the time there is the deafening and uninterrupted clanging of cowbells on the backs of the devils. After the church mass the fiesta continues where the women of the village, danzantas dance traditional dances.

On the 2nd in the afternoon the lavatorio del santo takes place, a mock act in which the Diablo Mayor washes the face of the statue of the town's patron saint, San Blas with anisette. The demons dance without stopping along the way of the procession and inside the church, making a huge din as they run and jump. Meanwhile the dancers perform dances with palos and castañuelas and recite dichos, sayings or poems, dedicated to the Virgin of the Candelaria or to San Blas.

Where to Stay

Accommodation in Almonacid del Marquesado is fairly limited so you are probably best checking out hotels in Madrid or hotels in Valencia.
If you intend on staying elsewhere checkout hotels deals in other Spanish destinations.
If you are on a budget or just fancy something a little cheaper take a look at hostels in Madrid's or Valencia

Getting There

To get there we recommend taking a flight to Madrid or Valencia

On arrival you might be interested in hiring a car, booking a train ticket or booking a bus ticket to take you to your final destination