Esparragalejo () is a municipality of Spain in the province of

Badajoz Badajoz (; formerly written ''Badajos'' in English) is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. It is situated close to the Portuguese border, on the left bank of the river Guadiana. The population ...

, autonomous region of

Extremadura Extremadura (; ext, Estremaúra; pt, Estremadura; Fala: ''Extremaúra'') is an autonomous community of Spain. Its capital city is Mérida, and its largest city is Badajoz. Located in the central-western part of the Iberian Peninsula, it ...

. Located about 8 miles from Mérida, it is known for its unique

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

multiple arch buttress dam, the Esparragalejo Dam, its two natural lagoons, and its religious festivals. During the festivities to honor the town's

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

, the Virgin of Good Health (''Virgen de la Salud''), its inhabitants come to the cathedral to witness the one-hour Mass and then occupy the streets completely. The townspeople take to the streets to put on a procession, to play music, and to put on shows for the town's children.

Origin of name

The name Esparragalejo refers to the communal pastureland known as the Esparragal. A diminutive suffix was added to the town name because the town remained small for many centuries.

References

Municipalities in the Province of Badajoz {{Badajoz-geo-stub