The patron saint of Totana returned to her sanctuary this Sunday with the traditional and massive pilgrimage of the ascent. The carving of Santa Eulalia de Mérida, patron saint of the town since 1644, returned in this way to the architectural complex declared a Site of Cultural Interest, where it will remain until next December.
At eight in the morning a mass was celebrated in the church of Santiago, the place where he arrived last December 9 to spend the patron saint festivities and Christmas, the day after the pilgrimage down, after spending the first day in the hermitage of San Roque.
According to municipal sources, it is estimated that more than 13,000 residents and visitors from other towns participated in this festive day. “With these figures of participation and devotion, the pilgrimage of La Santa is one of the most crowded in the Spanish Levante,” said butler Francisco José Miras.
After the mass, at nine o'clock the pilgrims' journey began, accompanying the Saint. The route, once it left the urban area, ran through a spectacular landscape full of wonderful citrus orchards in its first section, a landscape that changes with the entrance to the surroundings of Sierra Espuña, where the environment is a forest full of pine trees.
Throughout the journey there was no shortage of cheers for the Patron Saint, as well as the local rondallas and musical groups that joined the procession throughout the three hours that the journey lasted. The brothers who carried the throne regained their strength at several stops established for years, being entertained by the local residents with wonderful delicacies, such as a good broth with balls.
As every year, the most spectacular moment was the entrance of the throne to the atrium of the sanctuary of Santa Eulalia de Mérida. Once La Santa's brothers had relieved themselves of the weight of the throne, a concelebrated holy mass was celebrated in the same atrium, accompanied by the songs of the Tuna de Totana. When the carving was already inside the hermitage, the second part of this traditional pilgrimage began, dedicated to gastronomic enjoyment.
After the return of the Patron Saint to her sanctuary, the pilgrims celebrated with typical gastronomy and music.
E. Hernandez
Every year the environment of the Sanctuary becomes a hive of neighbors who settle in the mountains to spend a long day in which they taste all kinds of food. Perhaps the most traditional dish is rice or paella cooked with firewood, since, for this pilgrimage, as reported by Civil Protection, in this environment and in the recreational areas of El Grifo and El Ángel, outside the areas covered by trees, It is allowed to make a fire with vegetable fuel.
The music sounded in every corner of that mountain area, as well as the smoke and aromas permeated the atmosphere. In addition to rice, other traditional dishes are usually fried rabbits, pipirranas or thick sausages. It is worth highlighting an exquisite Totan tradition, such as the artisanal manufacture of the popular Mantellina, a drink composed of anise, lemon and honey, which pilgrims use to mitigate the morning cold.
This popular pilgrimage had a large special security device made up of more than fifty officers with agents from the Local Police, Civil Guard from the Totana post, Traffic Group and the Nature Protection Service, as well as volunteers from Civil Protection and members of the Alhama-Totana fire station, and environmental agents.
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