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EnglishThe Córdoba patios festival
- The basics: for two weeks, the people of Cordoba open their homes to show off their patios, flower-filled inner courtyards usually hidden from view and reached through an entrance that is often hard to spot.
- History: the Festival de los Patios was first held in 1918. Interrupted by the Spanish Civil War, it came back in the 1950s and has been held every spring, in May, ever since.
- Competition: every year the city council and several private companies award prizes to the best patios, to reward the residents' work and promote the city's traditional architecture.
- Where to see them: new buildings have replaced many traditional houses, so most of the patios are in the old neighbourhoods: Santa Marina, San Andrés, San Lorenzo, San Basilio, Alcázar Viejo and the Judería.
- Key point: since 2012, the competition and the festival have come together under one name, Patios de Córdoba, and on 6 December 2012 UNESCO's intergovernmental committee added the Fiesta de los Patios to the list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The Patios Festival is the main attraction in the city of Cordoba. For two weeks, residents open the doors of their homes so that the people of Cordoba and the tourists who come to the city at that time can admire the patios, little paradises usually hidden from curious eyes. Through an entrance that is often hard to spot, you reach a patio, the heart of the house. A sea of flowers and aromatic plants surrounds you with its sweet scent and colours, and you could almost forget you are in the middle of a city. This tradition runs deep in Cordoba. The Festival de los Patios was first held in 1918. The Spanish Civil War interrupted it, and it came back in the 1950s. Since then, every spring in May, the Patios de Córdoba open their doors and invite you in.
A popular competition in Cordoba
This popular competition is a way to recognise the effort that residents put into preserving these traditional corners. That is why the city council and several private companies award prizes to the best patios every year. The festival also aims to open these hidden treasures to the public and spread knowledge of Cordoba's traditional architecture.
Where can you see the Festival de los Patios?
Because of new building, many traditional houses have disappeared today, and their patios with them. However, most of the patios are still in the oldest neighbourhoods. These include:
- Santa Marina
- San Andrés
- San Lorenzo
- San Basilio
- Alcázar Viejo
- Judería
Note that since 2012 there has been no difference between the competition and the festival: this festival, so closely tied to the city's identity, now goes by one name, Patios de Córdoba. On 6 December 2012, UNESCO's intergovernmental committee declared the Fiesta de los Patios de Córdoba part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. If you live in a house or flat in Cordoba and have a patio, why not take part? And if you would like to invest in a flat or a house in one of these Cordoba neighbourhoods, do get in touch. We will look at your property project together.
Source: cordoba24
Thomas Rouer is the founder of Alveo Search and the CEO of the Alveo group. Based in Spain for almost ten years, he develops property services designed for the specific needs of foreign buyers.
His expertise covers every aspect of buying property in Spain: understanding the market, searching for and selecting properties, negotiation, financing, paperwork, tax and securing the purchase process.
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