Granada is one of Spain’s most beautiful cities, with the magnificent Alhambra, the zigzag labyrinth that is the old Albazyn and countless other treasures, all set against the backdrop of the Sierra Nevada mountains, and its easy to see why the city asserts such a powerful attraction to visitors. It is a city of tradition, from tapas to flamenco, Granada revels in its cultural heritage. And this week the revelling is going up a level. Because this week is Corpus Cristi in Granada, a week long celebration that marks the city’s Fiesta Mayor. A fiesta mayor is the city’s biggest festival, and the entire city comes out in its finest celebratory fashion.
The Corpus Festival in Granada is over 500 years old, making it one of the oldest in Spain. There are workshops, decorated house competitions and bullfighting, as well as the processsions, parades and general vibrant ambiance of a lively city in full celebration. While the festival is based on the Corpus, there are definite pagan elements to the party as well, for example la Tarasca, a giant doll whose extravagent dress varies from year to year.
