Almedinilla and the legend of "La Encantá"
On the summer solstice, the town of Almedinilla, in Cordoba, recalls a tragic love story: a young Muslim girl and a Christian boy fell in love by the river. Her brothers murdered him, because those were not times of understanding, and she went to live forever in a cave. But, since then, every night on 23-24 June, she returns to the river and the town celebrates it with the performance of "La Encantá".
According to this old story, a beautiful young woman from Almedinilla used to come down to the River Caicena every day to wash herself. One day, she was spotted by a young Christian, who fell in love with her. They both fell in love and started a romance that they tried to keep secret so as not to disturb their families, but her brothers found out and killed her lover.
When the young woman found his body, she ran away and spent the rest of her life living in a cave near the town. Since this tragic event, the residents of Almedinilla claimed that, every night of San Juan you could spot the young woman returning to the river in the hope of finding her love.
The tragic legend is remembered every year in Almedinilla, on the night of 23-24 June. "La Encantá" Celebration. It begins with a street parade with four stops where the classic elements of nature (earth, water, wind and fire) appear, and ending in the surroundings of the River Caicena and its Ecomuseum, where a performance of the legend of "La Encantá" takes place.
And in the town of Almedinilla it is essential to discover the extraordinary historical legacy and the town's art. You definitely have to start with La Encantá cave. Then you can visit the archaeological heritage and museums: El Ruedo Roman Villa, the Visitor Centre and Temporary Exhibitions, El Cerro de La Cruz Iberian settlement and the Historical Archaeological Museum of Almedinilla. But, in a town with so much dramatic talent, you shouldn't miss the dramatised meals "The Pleasures of the Roman Table", its Ibero-Roman Days Festum, dramatised tours of the Roman Villa, "Wasqha" emerging art festival… a whole world to be recreated and imagined!
