One of the pleasures of living in Valencia is discovering that the city seems to have an endless supply of festivals. Just when you think you’ve recovered from Fallas, another celebration appears on the calendar, complete with medieval imagery and religious pageantry.
This year, we decided to pay special attention to Corpus Christi.
Corpus Christi has been celebrated in Valencia since the 14th century – this was officially the 700th anniversary – and is considered one of the city’s most important religious festivals. Over the years, the celebration evolved into something uniquely Valencian. Religious processions got mixed with musical and theatrical performances. The result is an event that feels partly sacred, partly historical reenactment, and partly community parade.
Even before we moved to Valencia, we had already discovered the Casa de las Rocas, the home of the enormous floats (or “rocas”) used in the celebration. Most of these elaborate creations are hundreds of years old, and until recently, visitors could simply walk into the barn where the floats were stored. There were no barriers and very little separation between visitor and artifact. You could wander among centuries-old creations, standing next to giant dragons, biblical scenes, and fantastic creatures that looked as though they had escaped from a medieval storybook.
Although you can’t get up close and personal with most of the rocas anymore, I still have photographs showing just how close you could get. It was one of those rare museum experiences where history wasn’t displayed behind glass. It was sitting quietly in front of you, waiting for its next appearance.
This year, we were excited to finally see the celebration itself. And for once, we actually paid attention to the official schedule. Normally, our approach to local festivals seems to be hearing music in the distance, following the crowd, and seeing what happens. Corpus Christi seemed important enough to deserve a little planning.
The festival runs from Thursday through Sunday. We missed the opening events, which largely consist of moving the rocas from their home at the Casa de las Rocas to the Plaza de la Virgen for public viewing. The floats are drawn through the narrow streets by horses, which makes for quite a spectacle.
On Friday, there are various activities scattered throughout the day, but our focus was on the Plaza. We were a little surprised that not all of the floats were on display, but part of the plaza is currently occupied by teachers who have established a protest camp while pressing the government to address what seem to be very reasonable demands regarding education funding and working conditions.
Even with some of the space unavailable, there was plenty to see. Standing in front of these massive figures in the open square gives a very different impression than seeing them tucked away in storage. They suddenly become part of the city again rather than museum pieces.
The main event for us was Sunday evening’s parade. We timed our arrival almost perfectly and managed to catch the Dance of the Momo. The performance is one of the oldest surviving elements of the festival. Watching it felt less like viewing a modern parade and more like stepping into a tradition that has somehow survived centuries.
After the dance, there was a brief pause before the rest of the procession arrived.
Something that surprised me was the sheer number of participating groups. Various social, religious, and neighborhood groups appeared, preceded by banners and many carrying lighted candles. Some of these groups were represented by ordinary residents wearing everyday clothing, others were in traditional Valencian dress. Some women wore elegant black dresses with veils that added a distinctly formal atmosphere to the procession. There were also groups of children; little girls in white dresses and boys in sailor suits, often being herded along by nuns.
The music never seemed to stop. Brass bands alternated with traditional ensembles, creating a constantly changing soundtrack as the parade moved through the streets.
The rocas themselves were absent from this procession. Given their age and fragility, that seems entirely understandable. These are not props built for modern parades. They are historical treasures.
Interesting creatures, however, were very much present. There’s a giant turtle that drew plenty of attention, and there’s an odd sea creature, too.
Both of these are associated with different saints, although I’m admittedly hazy on who or why. There’s also a dragon, associated with St. George of course, that was equally popular. Everyone was delighted by the appearance of these strange medieval characters.
Biblical characters from the Old and New Testaments were liberally represented. Samson, Joshua, Jacob and his sons, prophets and apostles, the three Magi, plus many more actual and allegorical figures marched past, waving to the crowd.
The finale of the parade was the appearance of Valencia’s magnificent Custodia, a towering structure that carries the consecrated Host through the streets. This is the largest processional monstrance in the world, standing over 4 meters (about 13 feet) tall and made from more than 600 kg of silver, gold, pearls, and precious stones. The original one was unfortunately destroyed in the Spanish Civil War, but the replacement was funded through donations from ordinary Valencians.
What struck me most was how naturally all the different elements fit together. Religious observance, local history, folklore, music, neighborhood participation, and civic pride all shared the same space. No one was concerned about categorizing the event. It simply was what it had always been: a celebration belonging to the city.
Corpus Christi may not have the explosive energy of Fallas. It doesn’t shake the windows or fill the streets with fireworks. Instead, it offers something quieter and, in some ways, more revealing. It provides a glimpse into layers of Valencian history that are still alive, still functioning, and still capable of bringing thousands of people into the streets.
And after finally seeing it for ourselves, we’ll be paying attention to the schedule again next year.
Wow. I really enjoyed hearing about this lovely celebration. Thanks!