Medieval Ávila 

Posted byrkrontheroadPosted inEurope, festivals, history, Photography, Spain, TravelTags:, , , , ,

On the way back from a week-long English language immersion retreat in rural Spain in 2014, I asked the bus driver to drop me off at the Ávila mirador, or lookout. As I stepped down the stairs to collect my suitcase, I could hear others on the bus—students and tutors I had just spent a week with in Gredos—saying What a good idea; Why didn’t I think of that?

The view of the famous historic walled city spread out before me, beckoning. From that distance, the contours of the walls, completed between the 11th and 14th centuries, could be discerned. The city claims the ancient walls are the most complete and best preserved in all of Spain, built as a defense in those early days. At the mirador’s bus stop, I found transit into the city.

I had booked a modern hotel a few blocks from the walled center. Here for the festival?, the check-in clerk asked. When I had arranged for the stay, I had planned to spend the next day wandering inside the walls, but I hadn’t known this was the weekend of Avila’s Medieval Festival. No wonder it was difficult to find a room! Already late in the day, I settled into my lodging and found a restaurant nearby. Bright and early on the following sunny morning, I walked to join the glorious celebration.

 Before I could even find the entrance, I was surrounded by a confusion of actors, creatures, performers, musicians—colorful, some whimsical, some foreboding! Even many of the attendees were in costume.

Once inside, I climbed the stone steps to the top of the wall to get the lay of the land and to walk the old city construction, before jumping into the fray of activities below. Stork nests were balanced on high perches.

Vendors of all kinds, handmade products old and new, filled the space and crowded into narrow pathways. I visited with artisans and learned about their crafts, admired medieval-style clothing and armor, was entertained by street-style performers, and ducked as a raptor swooped by.

Children’s activities were grouped outside the walls. Screams and giggles filled the air.

Blessed by a faux-monk on my way out.

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Published by rkrontheroad

Writer, photographer, traveler

44 thoughts on “Medieval Ávila ”

  1. Why would you not stop there for this view? Fabulous to say the least, Ruth. Being in a European city during a medieval festival is a real bonus. The costumes and revelry enlivening. We had just such a happenstance when we visited Lyon in 2017. Thanks for sharing. Have a good evening. Allan

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  6. What a beautiful city. The city walls are indeed impressive and in perfect condition. You must have been pleasantly surprised to have ended up in this medieval event completely unexpectedly. Thanks for these unique photos Ruth.

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  11. What a beautiful city and with the unexpected bonus of that colourful festival! It reminds me of our visit to Lucca which coincided with a Comic and Games festival that we’d known nothing about when booking our stay 🙂 Isn’t it these serendipitous occasions that really make travel exciting?!

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  12. Ávila has eluded me during my countless visits to Spain, probably because I never make it that far out there! It’s a part of the country that’s unique in its culture, and one that I’m interested in discovering sometime soon. Glad you enjoyed your time there!

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  13. Oh I would love to see this town. I’ve not seen enough of Europe to have become jaded yet by the sheer ancientness of the place, and this Medieval old town and it’s fortifications would have had me enthralled. And then the festival on top of that; I’d have been in heaven. Fabulous photos.
    Alison

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  16. Wonderful photos of a spectacular city, Ruth (with or without the festival). You drew me in immediately with views of the walls, fortifications, and the city itself from a distance. I love flying buttresses; such an elegant structural component (as with Notre Dame in Paris). And the vendor all in white with his chess boards – is he carving pieces with the aid of the contraption below his feet? If I ever get to Spain it appears Avila is a must-see for any itinerary.

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    1. Thank you! It had been a destination for me well before I learned about the festival. That craftsman uses his feet to turn a trimming device. You can see the wood shavings all around him. Similar, in a way, to a foot-powered potter’s wheel, which I used for years!

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  20. Ávila looks captivating Ruth, These Spanish walled cities and towns are just irresistible and this one reminds me very much of my visit to Antequera in Andalusia. How smart of you to take advantage of this stop in the way that you did and fortunate to boot that the festival unfolded right as you arrived.

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