San Bartolomé de Pinares is a municipality located in the
province of Ávila,
Castile and León
Castile and León ( es, Castilla y León ; ast-leo, Castiella y Llión ; gl, Castela e León ) is an autonomous community in northwestern Spain.
It was created in 1983, eight years after the end of the Francoist regime, by the merging of the ...
, Spain, with a population of 627 inhabitants (2011
census,
INE). Only 20 km from
Ávila
Ávila (, , ) is a city of Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Ávila.
It lies on the right bank of the Adaja river. Located more than 1,130 m abov ...
, it has long been important for its
livestock.
Named for
St. Bartholomew
Bartholomew (Aramaic: ; grc, Βαρθολομαῖος, translit=Bartholomaîos; la, Bartholomaeus; arm, Բարթողիմէոս; cop, ⲃⲁⲣⲑⲟⲗⲟⲙⲉⲟⲥ; he, בר-תולמי, translit=bar-Tôlmay; ar, بَرثُولَماو ...
, the village is often associated with the local
Herrerian style church Iglesia de San Bartolomé Apóstol.
The teacher and journalist Juan Grande Martín (January 12, 1914 – November 13, 1981) was born here.
Festival
Each year on January 16, the eve of the festival of
Saint Anthony, the town celebrates the traditional Luminarias festival.
Purportedly held for five centuries, the origins of the festival trace back to a
ritual purification to preserve the health of the horses in the village.
Bonfire
A bonfire is a large and controlled outdoor fire, used either for informal disposal of burnable waste material or as part of a celebration.
Etymology
The earliest recorded uses of the word date back to the late 15th century, with the Catho ...
s are lit in the central streets, and horses jump through the flames, with the smoke intended to protect the animals from disease.
References
External links
Tourism siteFestival of bonfires and horses : Pictures
Municipalities in the Province of Ávila
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