The story of the festival of Moors and Christians in Spain

Over the centuries, the representations of the clash between Moors and Christians were held on the occasion of the entry in the city of kings and nobles, during the ceremonies of Corpus Christi, coinciding with some cononizations or patronal feasts. Originally organized by corporations, the ritual passed into the hands of confraternities. The first golden age of this particular tradition began during the reign of Philip II and had its heyday during the Baroque era, thanks to the support of the Counter-Reformation Church. A decrease occurred between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, as a result of the restrictions imposed by Charles III on the presence of profane elements in religious ceremonies. In the twentieth century, however, the habit of staging the clash between groups (bandos) of Moors and Christians is back in fashion and has spread in many locations.