One of the many advantages of owning a property in Marbella at the Costa del Sol is that one is within easy driving distance of some of Southern Spain’s best festivals. From now until the end of May, the colourful Cordoba Patios Festival will attract thousands of visitors. Home to many beautiful historic houses, Cordoba is a most picturesque backdrop for this colourful spring event.
The Patios Festival is an unusual feature of Cordoba’s cultural life. For a very long time Cordoba’s citizens have taken great care to decorate their patios during the first two weeks of May. Ending on Saturday, 28th May, the Patios Festival and the May Fair are two of the city’s most colourful celebrations of spring.
Covering most of the historic city centre, with a focus on the Alcázar Viejo district that lies between the Alcázar and the San Basilio church, the Patios Festival began on 1st May. Many of the city’s patios are beautifully decorated, especially the Santa Marina district, the squares around La Magdalena and San Lorenzo, but also patios located in the Jewish district near the Mosque-Cathedral.
Urban Refuges
The dozen patios of the Palacio de Viana are also decorated with floral arrangements as part of the city-wide celebrations. This tradition of embellishing the patios of grand houses dates back to the time of Al- Ándalus, but some historians believe that the tradition was imported by the ancient Romans, because their villas were constructed around an inner courtyard, just like Islamic homes.
In an area where summer temperatures can get very hot indeed, these small patio gardens in densely populated cities are small havens. Many, especially those built along Arabic designs, have fountains or other water features at their centres and are brimming with plants to give these homes a refreshingly cool ambience during the hottest time of the year. It is not uncommon for temperatures to reach 40 degrees Celsius in Cordoba.
The oldest houses in the centre of historic Cordoba feature cloistered patios or courtyards with mosaic floors where the rest of the home is arranged around this green refuge. Some large communal spaces are surrounded by several different, less ancient properties. Some have a patio at their front, overlooked by a large balcony, thus creating the impression of two imposing patios welcoming visitors. The ground level patio is traditionally cobbled and will feature a well rather than a fountain at its heart, presumably because these are homes built along late medieval or Renaissance architectural designs, long after the Christian re-conquest of Southern Spain in 1236.
All of these splendid patios have in common that their owners have spent considerable amounts of time to get their urban green spaces ready for the two-week festival. They are, after all, in a fierce competition to win “Best in Show”, a 100-year-old contest!
For the first time this year, it is an entirely free event, as long as visitors come to see the patios between 11.00 am and 2.00 pm and 6.00 pm to 10.00 pm. As some patios get incredibly busy at opening times, some restrictions may apply. Weekdays are less hectic than weekends, but there is no requirement to book tickets in advance. The festival will end on Sunday, 15th May.
Visitors popping over from their Marbella holiday homes can also look forward to live music entertainments, as a music festival is being staged in Cordoba’s historic city centre at the same time. Local musicians and dancers will be performing throughout the ancient streets and historic squares; artisan tapas and wine bars and food stalls will see to it that no visitor goes hungry or thirsty.
The May Festival kicks off on 21st May and ends of 28th May. Held in honour of the Señora de la Salud, the main events will take place at the Arenal Fairground. It’s a great place to see Cordoba’s music-loving inhabitants dress up in flamenco and Sevillana costumes and ride some of Andalucía’s famous horses in the streets.
Tourist Attractions in Cordoba
Straddling the banks of the Guadalquivir River, Cordoba boasts a historic city centre that has UNESCO World Heritage Site status and, as a result, sees a great influx of tourists during the summer season.
Among the most visited sites are the Roman Mausoleum in the Paseo de la Victoria and the Mosque-Cathedral with its veritable forest of arches and columns. Cordoba has a wealth of historic architecture and reputedly boasts the second largest Old Town in Europe. Here a Roman bridge sits cheek by jowl with a Roman Temple; visitors can spend an hour roasting in a Roman amphitheatre before strolling over to the Colonial Forum, and then go on discussing the remains of the Palace of the Emperor Maximian, if their feet are up to it!
Narrow, winding streets in the old Jewish quarter eventually lead tourists to the Synagogue and Sephardic House, both well worth visiting. And for horse-lovers, right next to the former HQ of the Inquisition, stand the imposing Royal Stables, where the famous Andalucía horses are bred.