We arrived in Soria at festival time! San Saturio is the Patron Saint of Soria and Soria celebrates the Festival of San Saturio every year on 2 October. This year there was also a music festival in Soria and the town was in holiday mode for several days.
San Saturio
Saturio (493-568) was a citizen of Soria who dedicated himself to a life of prayer and solitude. He cared for his parents in their old age and then gave away his inheritance and retreated to a cave in the Santa Ana hills, opposite the town. He was declared the Patron Saint of Soria in 1628 and officially recognised as a saint by the church in 1743.
His hermitage is sited outside the town overlooking the Duero River and on the site of his cave. There has apparently been a hermitage here for over 1,000 years, but today’s church dates from 1704. It is an easy walk along the river and on the list for September 2023.
The Parade of the Giants
On one of my brief outings to the nearby Plaza mayor and the Main Street of the town we happened on the Parade of the Giants and the Big Heads as part of the Festival of San Saturio. I can’t find out what these figures represent but perhaps on our return visit in 2023 we will know what to enquire about.
Nighttime festivities
There was also a music festival during our week in Soria and another little outing took me down to the nearby Plaza Mayor in the early evening.
Even on my brief outings Soria felt good and it was fun to see the events of the Festival.
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