Don't miss Pamplona's
spectacular San Fermin festival by Andrew Regan
As one of Spain's most historic
cities, Pamplona has captured the imagination of many a visitor to Spain.
The capital city of the region of Navarre, Pamplona is traditionally also
seen as the capital of the Basque country and is thus a special place of
interest for Basque nationalists. Steeped in ancient heritage, perhaps
the most famous event in Pamplona's annual calendar is the San Fermin festival
- an event during which the running of the bulls is the main attraction
for visitors from around the world.
  Celebrated
every July, San Fermin has its roots in the medieval period as both a commercial
fair and a secular fiesta. Its famous 'Encierro' - or running of the bulls
- originated in the late fourteenth century, and remains the festival's
most popular event today. It is said that at Pamplona, Saint Fermin met
with his death by being dragged around the streets of the city by bulls
- although some say that Saint Fermin was actually martyred at Amiens,
France.
As the name suggests, 'Encierro'
involves people running in front of bulls down a 825 metre stretch of cobbled
streets in the older parts of Pamplona town. On the festival's largest
day, July 7th, the effigy of Saint Fermin is accompanied by thousands of
festival participants, as dancers and entertainers gather along the streets.
'Encierro' itself begins with the release of two firecrackers - one to
signal the freeing of the bulls from their corral and another once the
last bull has been released.
The dangers posed by the
running of the bulls are well-known. Since 1924, 15 people have been killed
and over 200 have been seriously injured. However, many of these injuries
have been due to inexperienced tourists taking dangerous risks when participating
in the 'Encierro'. But despite these dangers, the atmosphere in Pamplona
during San Fermin is overwhelmingly celebratory. In literature, the mood
of San Fermin has perhaps best been captured by the American writer Ernest
Hemingway, who immortalised the festival in his novel 'The Sun Also Rises'.
In commemoration, Hemingway had a street in Pamplona named after him -
Avenida de Hemingway - in order to show the city's appreciation for this
great author.
Pamplona is just over two
hours journey away from the city of Bilbao, so if you're thinking about
travelling to Pamplona for the festival of San Fermin, you'll find frequent
flights to Bilbao from London. Just make sure that your behaviour is responsible
and careful in order to reduce the risk of being in the firing line during
the running of the bulls.
About the Author
Andrew
Regan is an online, freelance journalist.
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