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Feast of Saint Isidore, Patron Saint of Madrid
On May 15th, many Madrid residents celebrate the feast day of their patron saint. And this has been the case for hundreds of years.
San Isidro is an unknown celebration from Madrid, but is one of the most authentic of the city. Come with us and know more about it!
If on May 15th you find yourself around Madrid seeing men, women, and children dressed in a peculiar traditional way, don't be surprised: they are celebrating the day of San Isidro, the patron saint of the city.
As you know, practically every Spanish city and town has its patron saint: the one for the city of Madrid is a modest laborer who, as life would have it, was the husband of a saint and the father of a saint. He lived between the 11th and 12th centuries, when what would become the country's capital was nothing more than a village in the Kingdom of Castile. And like any self-respecting saint, he had his miracles: he made the waters of a well rise to save his son, who had fallen in; in times of drought he made water spring from the parched ground with a strike of his hoe; he managed to have his fields plowed by angels; and, in an appearance after his passing, he helped the Christian troops to victory at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212).
He was so beloved and admired by his fellow countrymen that shortly after he died in 1172, he began to be treated as a saint, although in reality his canonization —official recognition as a Saint by the Church— did not arrive until 1622. So we could say that, curiously, he has been the patron of Madrid forever, even though his celebration has "only" been held for just under 400 years.
The truth is that the actual "celebration" has changed little since then. Thousands of Madrileños attend a pilgrimage held next to the chapel dedicated to the saint in the vicinity of the San Isidro meadow. After the event, attendees spend the afternoon in the aforementioned meadow quietly having a snack, taking a walk, or buying the typical and tasty "tonta," "lista," or "Santa Clara" donuts (rosquillas).
Some of those attendees will catch your eye with their colorful clothing. The women wear fitted polka-dot dresses, a striking embroidered shawl, and a headscarf with one or two carnations; the men wear a gray checkered jacket, a cap (called a "parpusa"), a matching vest, and a white scarf around the neck. These are the "chulapa and chulapo" outfits, typical of the city of Madrid since the 19th century. Their origins are unknown, but many agree they could be an evolution of the "majo" dresses and suits from the late 18th and early 19th centuries that we have seen so many times in Goya's paintings.
By the way, speaking of "chulapos and chulapas"... have you ever heard the Madrileño expression "to be cooler than an eight" (ser más chulo que un ocho)? Well, it is precisely because the tram that ran through the capital as number 8 went all the way to the San Isidro Meadow; therefore, every May 15th, it was full of people dressed in the chulapo style.
Now you know a bit more about this unknown but curious celebration. So if you pass through the city of Madrid on May 15th, you already know where to go, what to wear, and even what to eat. We’ll be waiting for you!