Neerdalen van Celedon over het plein La Virgen Blanca

Celedón (, ) is a character central to the

Virgen Blanca Festivities The ''Fiestas de la Virgen Blanca'' (in Basque: ''Andre Maria Zuriaren Jaiak'') have been celebrated every year, since 1884. It is held on 5 August, but the celebrations begin the day before, on the 4th, and end on 9 August. It honours the patron ...

Vitoria-Gasteiz Vitoria-Gasteiz (; ; also historically spelled Vittoria in English) is the seat of government and the capital city of the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country and of the provinces of Spain, province of Álava in northern Spain. I ...

, in the

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

province of

Álava Álava () or Araba (), officially Araba/Álava, is a Provinces of Spain, province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country, heir of the ancient Basque señoríos#Lords of Álava, Lordship ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. He is portrayed wearing a beret and dressed in a traditional blouse, always carrying an

umbrella An umbrella or parasol is a folding canopy supported by wooden or metal ribs that is mounted on a wooden, metal, or plastic pole. It is usually designed to protect a person against rain. The term ''umbrella'' is traditionally used when protec ...

History

Celedón's descent was invented in 1957 by a group of Vitorians. They created the descent of Celedón, a metaphor for the peasants of the province traveling to the city to celebrate the holidays. Tradition affirms that he was born in

Zalduondo Zalduondo is a village and municipality located in the province of Araba (Álava), in the Basque Country (autonomous community), northern Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe w ...

, a small village of

, which today produces wine. They say that he was called Juan Celedonio de Anzola. Other investigators argue that Celedón was a brigadier of the

Carlist Carlism (; ; ; ) is a Traditionalism (Spain), Traditionalist and Legitimist political movement in Spain aimed at establishing an alternative branch of the Bourbon dynasty, one descended from Infante Carlos María Isidro of Spain, Don Carlos, ...

army born in

Andagoya Andagoya is a village in west-central Colombia. Andagoya is named for Pascual de Andagoya (1495–1548), a Spanish conquistador. History A cacique named Pocorosa lived in Andagoya in the 19th century. Pocorosa met the Spanish conquistadors. Cli ...

, named Celedón Aguiluz. Since the personage of Celedón was created in 1957, four people have embodied the legend: Jose Luis Isasi, who held the title for 22 years, Enrique Oribe, who substituted in 1976, Iñaki Landa, who personified the villager of

from 1980 until 2000, and Gorka Ortiz Urbina, who made a début as Celedón in 2001.

Celedonio Alzola

In hindsight, Celedón's "flight" known by the people who live in

, remains the passion for the

of a villager of

at the end of the 18th century. He was called Celedonio Alzola and apparently, was proclaimed as a protagonist of the holidays as soon as he got to

Vitoria Vitoria or Vitória may refer to: People * Francisco de Vitoria (c. 1483–1546), a Spanish Renaissance theologian * Alberto Vitoria (1956–2010), Spanish footballer * Rui Vitória (born 1970), Portuguese retired footballer * Sofia Vitória ( ...

. He used to invite everyone to go with him and together enjoy the celebrations and the holidays of the city. It is also believed that Celedonio lived in a street called "The Shoe Store Street" between 1796 and 1866 and was a very famous bricklayer who frequented the bars with his friends. In 1957, a group of blouses designed the descent of a doll from the belfry of the Church of San Miguel up to the New Square to give the beginning of the holidays of the

Virgen Blanca The Virgen Blanca (Basque: Andre Maria Zuria, English: White Virgin) is the patron saint of the Spanish city Vitoria-Gasteiz (a city in the north east part of Spain, capital of the Basque Autonomous Community). Its festivity is celebrated on 5 Augus ...

. The first descent failed, so they decided to get a person to solve the problem and the idea was a success. The person who appeared was Jose Luis Isasi, at the town hall of

. Since then only four people have been chosen by the squads of blouses and neskas who have personified Celedón or the villager of

50th anniversary of the descent of the Celedón

2007 was the 50th anniversary of the descent of Celedón, which went down for the first time in the year 1957. In his first descent, the rope broke, although this fact did not prevent Isasi from going out to the balcony and giving the beginning to the holidays. On the 50th anniversary, Gorka Ortiz de Urbina and Iñaki Landa made an emotive opening procession together, and on the balcony, they resembled Isasi, who was away because of a serious disease. Nowadays in the "balconada" of San Miguel, it is possible to see Celedón's sculpture; this sculpture takes the face of Jose Luis Isasi Moltalbán, the first Celedón and one of the creators of Celedón's figure.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Celedon Vitoria-Gasteiz Fictional Basque people Fictional characters based on real people Fictional characters introduced in 1957