The Pilgrimage of Cristo de la Luz

Classification:

Tourist Sight in Castilla y León

Dates:

10 days after the Ascent and 10 days before the Corpus

At the end of May or the beginning of June, as part of the festivities of Holy Week and the celebration of the pilgrimage of Rocío, the inhabitants of Lanzahíta, in the province of Ávila, assemble to start the Romería del Cristo de la Luz (the Pilgrimage of Christ of the Light). This pilgrimage is in the Andalusian style, with hundreds of adorned carriages and horseback riders.

The pilgrimage, which is of medieval origin and has a clear religious character, and has been declared of touristic interest in Castilla y León, starts from Lanzahíta and heads towards neighbouring Hontanares. The story behind the pilgrimage tells how a shepherd found the sacred image of Christ close to Hontanares on the shores of the river Tiétar more than 400 years ago. He took it to Lanzahíta and hung it in the hermitage of La Virgen del Prado (the Virgin of the Pasture), but the image disappeared, only to be found in the same place it had been originally discovered. Again, it was taken to Lanzahíta, to the same temple, and again appeared in the place where the shepherd had found it. So the townspeople built a hermitage in Hontanares, where every year all the people of Lanzahíta go to show their devotion.

The pilgrimage starts at eight o'clock in the morning in Lanzahíta, and bearing a traditional candle, the procession of the faithful follows the route to Hontanares, where it usually arrives at about eleven o'clock. After mass, the pilgrims eat traditional pasties and drink lemonade on the shore of the river Tiétar.