Giants and Big Heads have been in Alcalá de Henares since at least 1525, a year for which there is documentary evidence. The City Council has organized a grand gathering of these enormous festive figures for Saturday, June 14.
Confirmed troupes are coming from Torrejón de Ardoz, Pozuelo de Alarcón, San José de Valderas (Alcorcón), Galapagar, and San Lorenzo de El Escorial.
From outside Madrid, groups will come from Guadalajara and Miranda de Ebro (Burgos), accompanied by the city’s troupe and the Pequeñantes de Alcalá as hosts.
The Giants and Big Heads of Alcalá de Henares Turn 500
In total, over 40 giants and big heads will parade through the streets of the Historic Center from 6:00 pm, starting from San Diego Square, to Santos Niños Square, returning to its starting point. After that, the giants will be received at City Hall for a small tribute.
THE GIANT HISTORY OF ALCALÁ
Accepting the date of 1525, Alcalá is the third city in Spain to have giants that do not represent religious characters, after Toledo and Seville.
In 1651, the City Council of Alcalá commissioned four new giants and a giantess from master carpenter Francisco González Bravo.
In 1658, it was decided to complete the troupe with two more giants, crafted by the same artisan and painted by Gregorio de Utande, a well-known artist in Alcalá.
‘The Biggest Ones’ Parade in Torrejón de Ardoz
These were the giants that paraded in Alcalá until 1780 when King Carlos III prohibited the presence of giants in the Corpus Christi procession and other religious festivities, considering them a disrespectful celebration contrary to faith.
Several generations later, with the prohibition expired and forgotten, and with the aim of providing the city’s fairs with a dignified children’s show widely embraced by the public, it was decided to create a Giant troupe for the 1902 fairs.
This first troupe would be formed by three characters representing Don Quixote, his squire Sancho Panza, and the ‘Black with Bun’.
Deja una respuesta