Lunes de Aguas

What’s so special about today? It’s a huge party in Salamanca.

The tradition dates back to the Middle Ages when the students (only males back then, and rich too) knew how to have fun with the “working girls” in the area to say the least. Some even say that prostitution, much like the University back then, was controlled by the Church.  It was mandated by King Felipe II that during Lent, a time of abstinence, the prostitutes be banished from the city to the other side of the river Tormes. There a priest was in charge of taking care of the girls and there were guards on the Roman bridge to prevent people from crossing to the other side of the river to pay a visit to the girls.  Each year, on the second Monday after Easter Sunday, the people of Salamanca, specifically the students, would go to the river side to have a picnic and wait for the prostitutes to come back.  The typical food is called a hornazo; it’s essentially a meat pie (who wouldn’t want to eat pastry stuffed with meat after 40 days without it).  Today the tradition continues; the citizens of Salamanca, especially the students (who get the afternoon off of classes) flock to the riverside this day every year bringing along with them hornazos or whatever other type of food and beverage they fancy. A lot of people bring instruments to play music, or a soccer ball or Frisbee to entertain themselves for the afternoon. 

Beautiful Day

Hornazo

Me....and a lot of other people

Hanging out under and around the Puente Romano