As tradition dictates, the representative from Guadix, Antonio Vera, did not manage to take the image of the Virgen de la Piedad, patron saint of Baza, back to his town. The festival, which aims to be recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage by Unesco, will have its counterpart next Wednesday in Guadix.
The battle began seconds after six in the evening, marked by the launch of three rockets, at which point participants chanted "And he doesn't take her, and he doesn't take her," reaffirming the defeat of the Guadix envoy.
This picturesque celebration originated over 530 years ago when Juan Pedernal, a worker from Guadix, found the image of the Virgin during construction work in Baza and attempted to take it to his town. The justice of the time decreed that Guadix would send a representative annually, who, if he arrived clean, could take the image. However, tradition has maintained that Guadix loses this battle.
