Artà: Fiestas for Sant Antoni de Pàdua

June 13 is the saints day for Sant Antoni de Pàdua, patron of the Franciscans Convent in Artà. For this festivity, this weekend and until June 14, the town of Artà is celebrating a series of popular and religious, the most outstanding of which are the performances by the "Cavallets" and the "Dama" (the horses and the lady). These characters -- played by children dressed in a special way with coloured cloth and cardboard armour like a horse -- interpret very old dances with curious names, such as "ball de la Carrossa", "ball dels Indis", "ball dels Nans"...

The first appearance of the "Cavallets" will take place on Saturday 7 at 6 p.m., after the rockets announcing the start of the fiesta and just before the opening of the popular charity Tombola. The "Cavallets" can be seen also the eve of the Fiesta de Sant Antoni on Thursday 12, at 9 p.m. parading round the centre of the town with the typical floats and the Municipal Band. Finally on Friday 13, on Saint Anthony's day, the "Cavallets" will dance the Offertory in the Convent Cloister, after the 11 a.m. mass.

Amongst the activities included in the programme of festivities, is also a day of children's games that will take place on Sunday 8, as from 5 p.m. with the traditional races of "cintes i cucanyes".

Photo © BalearWeb

Date of publication: 05/06/2003

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