Romería de San Roque, Blanca
The annual romería takes place on Friday morning in the first of two sets of fiestas in honour of the saint
One of the central events of the annual Fiestas in Blanca in honour of San Roque is the Romería held in honour of its patron saint, San Roque.
A romería, to put it in its simplest terms, is the act of transferring a religious image from one location to another, and is generally a celebration in honour of the saint. Accompanied by townspeople, the saint is taken out and often brought back to its original location, after “enjoying a day in the country.” In some areas, romerías cover many kilometres and the saint is transferred to another church or chapel for a few weeks before being returned, this being the case in areas such as Totana and Murcia, where the patron saint is brought down into the city for fiestas, or as is the case in many towns and villages, makes the return trip in the same day.
The events begin at 8am, when firecrackers are let off and church bells ring out to announce the start of the Romería, which leaves the main central church with the image of San Roque carried on the shoulders of local residents preceded by his standard.
The saint is carried along the streets of calles Generalísimo, Concepción and Barrio Nuevo, until the procession reaches a point known as the "punta del pueblo", from which the "romeros" continue via the Carretera de la Estación, to the rural area known as the Campo de San Roque.
On arrival, the crowd, which by now has swollen to several hundred people, hold an open-air Mass in honour of their patron, then carry out a unique tradition, brushing the wounds of the saint with thyme.
Following this, locals settle down to enjoy a day of neighbourly companionship, sharing food and drink in an open-air picnic, traditional local ingredients being rabbit cooked with tomato, a slice of tortilla, a handful of young broad beans, all washed down with a good slug of wine.
At 7pm the image of the saint arrives back in town, met by thousands of residents who accompany him back to the parish church of San Juan Evangelista, accompanied by music played on the “dulzaina” by the “tío de la pita”, a figure who participates in the traditional fiesta parades and the sounds of “La Burra”, a well-known local song which has become something of an anthem for the Romería of San Roque.
This is very much a day of sharing and friendship and residents of all nationalities are invited to participate.
