The IV Conference on the Carnival of Miguelturra kicked off on Sunday, February 1. This year’s edition has a notable novelty: for the first time, one of its days is held outside the town, with the State Library in Ciudad Real as the setting.

The event included speeches by the town’s mayor, Luis Ramón Mohíno, the researcher Rafael Sánchez Espinosa, and the director of the same, Francisco Manuel Peco, with Esmeralda Muñoz moderating the talk.

To project the Carnival beyond its borders

The mayor of Miguelturra emphasized the importance of promoting the Carnival beyond its borders, describing any effort to disseminate and expand its reach as “fundamental.” He stressed that, following its designation as a Festival of National Tourist Interest, the celebration now has a dimension that transcends the local level. Mohíno also praised the roots of the festival: “It’s not something new; it has remained alive even in secrecy,” highlighting the Cultural Days as a key pillar for understanding this tradition.

Rafael Sánchez Espinosa brought the essence of the Carnival of Miguelturra to his workplace, the State Public Library, with his talk ‘The Resistance of the Street Mask’. During his speech, he explained how the town defied the ban during the dictatorship through ingenious strategies. By contextualizing this period, he highlighted the role of the authorities and the value of the festival as a pillar of cultural resistance in the province.

Researcher Francisco Manuel Peco pointed out that the conference seeks to disseminate recent studies on the Carnival and extend the reach of Miguelturra’s heritage to the provincial capital. Peco stressed that the value of the festival lies in its intangible components – such as the lyrics, the joke and the traditional spaces – and not only in the costume. According to him, this set of traditions makes the celebration unique and worthy of protection.

Among the audience were senior masked revelers, representatives of carnival groups, and the King of Carnival.