Madrid’s Transhumance Festival is back
Trashumancia y Naturaleza
On Sunday, October 24th, the transhumant passage through the centre of Madrid will take place, a tradition that has been held uninterruptedly since 1994 and that last year had to be canceled due to COVID-19.
This year the Transhumance Festival returns to the streets of Madrid, a traditional event held over recent decades that has left unforgettable pictures of thousands of sheep occupying the main streets of the capital. Since 1994, this event claims the role of transhumance and extensive livestock farming as a tool for conserving biodiversity and fighting climate change.
FESTIVAL PROGRAMME
| 22 October (Friday) | 13.00 The herds enter Casa de Campo through Puerta del Zarzón/Arroyo Meaques |
| 23 October (Saturday) | The herds remain in the cattle area by the Valdeza stream in Casa de Campo |
| 24 October (Sunday) |
09.00 Herds leave the pens next to the Valdeza stream in Casa de Campo and head towards Puerta del Rey 10.30 Participating transhumant herds, including autochthonous cattle breeds, leave Casa de Campo. Through the Puente del Rey, they will cross the gardens to the Hermitage of the Virgen del Puerto, and ascend along the Paseo Ciudad de Plasencia and the Cuesta de la Vega to Calle Bailén. 11.00 Entrance through Calle Mayor, accompanied by groups representing popular culture from the different Spanish migrant regions. 12.00 Pass through Puerta del Sol and enter Calle de Alcalá 12.30 Arrival at Plaza de Cibeles and entrance to Paseo de Recoletos to Plaza de Colón 13.00 Return to Plaza de Cibeles to greet the representatives of the Municipal Corporation and payment of the maravedís, in compliance with the Concord of March 2, 1418, between the men and women of the Mesta and the Council attorneys of the Villa. 13.30 Return of the herds to Puerta del Sol, while the mayorales check the milestones of the Cañada Real in Puerta de Alcalá. 14:00 Pass through Puerta del Sol and return along Calle Mayor and Cuesta de la Vega towards Casa de Campo. Farewell to the shepherds. 2:30 pm – Entry of the herd to the country house and return to their pens in the Valdueza area. |
| 25 October (Monday) | The herds remain in Casa de Campo |
| 26 October (Tuesday) | 11.00 The herds depart Casa de Campo |
First published (in Spanish) on the Trashumancia y Naturaleza website.
~
Trashumancia y Naturaleza collaborates with ANP|WWF and WWF Spain in the Dehesas & Montados in the Iberian Peninsula project. This project aims to protect unique dehesas and montados landscapes – high value farming systems that balance biodiversity and sustainable agriculture, benefit the rural economy and continue a legacy stretching back generations.