Last Thursday in August
Mare de Déu del Remei, Santa Oliva, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain
Within the former castle of the Santa Oliva family near the
Mediterranean Sea, the Romanesque church of Sant Julià was rebuilt in the
1700s in Baroque style as the Church of the Mother of God of Remedy. In
1854, the townspeople of Santa Oliva vowed to take the statue of the
Virgin of Remedy in procession annually if they were spared the cholera
that was scouring the region. The epidemic did not reach Santa Oliva, and
every year since, the Vot del Poble fulfills the town's vow on the
last Thursday in August. The Fiesta lasts a week. Thursday's celebrations
begin at 8 am with matinades played on grallas,
olive-wood wind instruments unique to Catalonia, similar to recorders, but
with reeds. At 11:30, the Vot del Poble takes place: the Virgin's
statue is brought down, accompanied by an orchestra, costumed giants, and
gralla players. After solemn mass, the statue goes in procession through
the streets. Later there are children's games, music, and
dancing.
Sources include:
 | "Festa Major de Santa Oliva," Espigol,
August 2011, issuu.com/espigol/docs/espigol_agost2011 |
| Joan Grífols, "Santa Oliva (5)," Flickr
- Photo Sharing! www.flickr.com/photos/calafellvalo/5171185593/
(picture taken Sept. 2, 2010) |
| "Santa Oliva," Wikipedia, la
enciclopedia libre, es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Oliva |
|
 |
Also celebrated this day:
| Notre-Dame de la Font Sainte, Saint-Hippolyte, Cantal, Auvergne, France.
La fête des bergers (shepherds' festival). |
|