Padre Putas ( en, father of whores) was a cleric responsible for monitoring and giving care to prostitutes in Salamanca, during the

Spanish Golden Age The Spanish Golden Age ( es, Siglo de Oro, links=no , "Golden Century") is a period of flourishing in arts and literature in Spain, coinciding with the political rise of the Spanish Empire under the Catholic Monarchs of Spain and the Spanish H ...

Origins

In the 16th century, the University of Salamanca was the most important study centre in Spain, having nearly 7,000 students, so the demand for prostitutes was high. As a great variety of literary and historical sources of the time attest, the Casa de la Mancebía was one of the most flourishing

red-light district A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light districts are particu ...

s in Spain during the Golden Age. Prince John, son of Ferdinand and

Isabella Isabella may refer to: People and fictional characters * Isabella (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Isabella (surname), including a list of people Places United States * Isabella, Alabama, an unincorpora ...

, lived in Salamanca during his tutoring by Bishop Diego de Deza. With the bishop's agreement, organised the prostitutes of Salamanca to locate to the Casa de la Mancebía, where they should be under the supervision of a priest, who became known as the ''Padre Putas'' (father of whores). Padre Putas was also responsible for the welfare of the prostitutes, ensuring that they had food and the services of apothecaries and surgeons. He was also responsible for the prostitutes abstaining from work on Holy days and feast days. The appointment of a Padre Putas had to be approved by the Consistory and he had to swear an oath of office before a

notary A notary is a person authorised to perform acts in legal affairs, in particular witnessing signatures on documents. The form that the notarial profession takes varies with local legal systems. A notary, while a legal professional, is disti ...

Monday of Waters

The future King

Philip II Philip II may refer to: * Philip II of Macedon (382–336 BC) * Philip II (emperor) (238–249), Roman emperor * Philip II, Prince of Taranto (1329–1374) * Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (1342–1404) * Philip II, Duke of Savoy (1438-1497) * Philip ...

came to Salamanca for his marriage to

Maria Manuela, Princess of Portugal Dona Maria Manuela (15 October 1527 – 12 July 1545) was the eldest daughter and second child of King John III of Portugal and his wife Catherine of Austria. She was Princess of Asturias and Duchess of Milan as the first wife of the future ...

in 1543. He was concerned about the number of prostitutes in the city and issued an edict that prostitutes should leave the city's Casa de la Mancebía during the period of annual abstinence (

Lent Lent ( la, Quadragesima, 'Fortieth') is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke ...

Holy Week Holy Week ( la, Hebdomada Sancta or , ; grc, Ἁγία καὶ Μεγάλη Ἑβδομάς, translit=Hagia kai Megale Hebdomas, lit=Holy and Great Week) is the most sacred week in the liturgical year in Christianity. In Eastern Churches, w ...

and

Easter Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...

). They were to be inactive and remain outside the city walls on the left bank of the river during this period. On the afternoon of the Monday after Easter, led by Padre Putas (one of the most coveted official positions of the time), they returned to the city, crossing the river in boats that the students had decorated. This annual custom became so popular that a large part of the city's inhabitants came to observe it and take part in the celebrations. This tradition is still celebrated in the city as the '' Monday of Waters''.

Modern Day

Although the festival of Monday of Waters no longer marks the returning of the prostitutes, the celebrations still continue today. Padre Putas is one of the characters portrayed during the event, being one of the costumed figures in the

Gigantes y cabezudos Processional giants, french: géants processionnels, es, gigantes y cabezudos, va, gegants i cabuts, ca, gegants i capgrossos, eu, erraldoi eta buruhandiak are costumed figures in European folklore, particularly present in Belgian, Fren ...

( en, Giant and big-headed) parade. The ''La Plataforma Abolicionista de Salamanca'' staged a protest against the Monday of Waters celebrations in 2019, hanging figures representing "the

pimp Procuring or pandering is the facilitation or provision of a prostitute or other sex worker in the arrangement of a sex act with a customer. A procurer, colloquially called a pimp (if male) or a madam (if female, though the term pimp has still ...

" Padre Putas and "other rapists" from the Enrique Estevan bridge. He is remembered in the name of a restaurant in Salamanca.

References

Bibliography

* * * * {{cite book , editor1-last=Ray , editor1-first=Michael , title=Portugal and Spain , date=2013 , publisher=Britanncia Educational Publishing , isbn=978-1-61530-993-1 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IT2dAAAAQBAJ , language=en Prostitution in Spain Local Christian church officials Salamanca History of Catholicism in Spain Spanish Golden Age 1543 establishments in Spain History of the province of Salamanca History of prostitution