Fiesta de San Isidro

Each year, for a period of several days around May 15, the city of Madrid celebrates its patron saint with the Fiesta de San Isidro.

But before Isidro was a ‘San’, he was Isidore the farmer (Isidro Labrador), a Spanish day laborer born to peasant Catholics in eleventh century Madrid. Spending much of his life in the service of the wealthy landowner Juan de Vargas, Isidore was known for sharing whatever he had (i.e. very little) with his fellow paupers, to the point at which he himself would go hungry.

In later years, Isidore married his wife Maria Torribia and had one son. When this boy famously fell down a well, his parents prayed for his salvation and, according to legend, the water levels rose and their son was saved. The life of the pious Isidore is littered with such miracles, including angels helping him to plough the fields, or else ploughing the fields for him whilst he prayed at church, the resurrection of Vargas´ deceased daughter, and the summoning of water from parched earth to quench his master´s thirst. Even posthumously, the Spanish hero is said to have appeared in visions to kings to bestow military guidance or medical salvation.

Isidore was beatified in 1619 as Saint Isidore, San Isidro, the patron of farmers, peasants and day laborers. He is also the patron saint of a number of Spanish towns and cities, including Leon, Saragossa, Seville, and of course Madrid. His influence has even spread to South America.

Essentially, the life and story of San Isidro is exemplary of the ideal Spanish work ethic - of earthly duties as spiritual fulfilment - and the annual Fiesta in Madrid represents a true celebration of this labor´s fruits.

Traditionally centered around the park (pradera) of San Isidro in Madrid´s historic Carabanchel district, the fiesta consists of processions, performances, special chulapo or chulapa costumiery, majestic bullfights, religious events and a whole lot more. One of the main draws for visitors and locals alike, however, has got to be the food.

While in the sixteenth century, it was customary to snack on the area´s grass as a tribute to San Isidro, nowadays there are dozens of stalls selling all manner of appetizing delicacies to picnic with.

There are tortillas (potato omelette), bocadillos (sandwiches) and empanadillas (savory pies), of course, along with traditional cocino Madrileño (or Madrid stew), consisting of an assortment of meats (ham, pig´s foot, bacon, chorizo, morcilla [black pudding], chicken and beef) with garbanzos, root vegetables, onion, cabbage and pasta. It was this hearty stew, according to the tales, that San Isidro´s wife, Santa María de la Cabeza, may have cooked for the beggars brought home by her husband.

Also available at the fiesta is gallinejas, another typical component of Madrileñan cuisine, consisting of lamb offal fried in its own fat with salt and potatoes, and served in a whirling spiral pattern. Entresijos similarly aims to use the whole of the sheep in the fashion of peasants like San Isidro himself.

Among the sweets are barquillos (rolled wafers dusted with cinnamon), however the stars of the show have really got to be the Rosquillas de San Isidro. These donuts, or Holy Bagels, are everywhere at festival time, and are made either without frosting (called tontas, meaning foolish) or else with frosting made with sugar, lemon juice and egg (in which case they are called listas, meaning smart ones). The recipe is simple, using olive oil as the fat and anise as a flavoring, and like all other foods at the Fiesta de San Isidro, they are best washed down with lashings of vino tinto, preferably from a traditional bota, or stitched goatskin vessel in the shape of a teardrop.

There are many festivals in Spain, and many more specifically gastronomic events, but few if any of these quite live up to the grand celebration of the capital’s patron saint.

If you want to get a feel of celebrating like a true Spanish does, come and take a bite out of our tortilla our quickly popular Pitufo, our house Bocata or the all time favorite Pepito de Ternera. We hope to see you soon!