The Third Cultural Days of the Miguelturra Carnival end with great success.

They began on Tuesday with the thematic tastings ‘Between masks and vineyards: the taste of Carnival history‘ at the Taskarnaval Tavern. Four wines with four tapas and accompanied by four talks about our carnival ‘Traditions’, ‘The Street Mask’, ‘The Prohibitions’ and ‘The Dances’.

On Friday the 21st, the events began in the anteroom of the ‘Momo’ Carnival Museum and they did so with the opening of the days by its director Francisco Manuel Peco, accompanied by the president of the Association of Peñas, Raúl Domínguez and the Mayor of the town, Luis Ramón Mohino.

After the official opening of the days, the talks began and Francisco Manuel Peco himself brought us closer to the carnivals in our area through the talk on ‘Carnivals in the province of Ciudad Real: an approach to its history’. A tour of different carnivals such as those of Malagón, Alcázar de San Juan, Herencia, Almadén, Almagro, Daimiel or Manzanares.

Next, Eduardo Manuel García brought us closer to his carnival, Almadén, through his exhibition on ‘The professionalization of the Almadén Carnival’, showing the evolution of this carnival from the transition to the present.

Friday’s sessions ended with the discussion ‘Masks, jokes and satire today’ and the participation of longtime Miguelturra street masks such as Nolasco Sánchez, Carmen Corral, Desideria Pérez and Marcela Naranjo.

The Saturday morning session began with the talk ‘Masks and silences: the Miguelturra Carnival in the press (1845-1980)’ with Rafael Sánchez Espinosa as speaker, a tour of the little information that exists in the press about our carnival throughout history until the mid-seventies of the last century.

With Román González Escalera, music in the Carnival was addressed, a tour of different musical pieces by great composers whose inspiration was in the Carnival.

Next, the Major Masks of 2023 and 2024, José Luis Rivas and Encarni Sánchez, Leandro Arévalo and Charo Sánchez, Rafael Gómez and María Luisa Ocaña, set the tone of humor for the morning session with their experiences and anecdotes during the carnival.

A brief break to gain strength and continue with a Masterclass on pan-fried fruit with pastry chef Rita Gómez, interrupted by certain street masks, which appeared accompanied by the little ones who enjoyed the Flauti Flauti rags in the children’s street mask workshop.

José Ramón González and ‘The mask: meanings, myths and symbolism’ ended these Saturday morning sessions.

In the afternoon, Octavio Martín, Serafín Delgado, Pepe Muñoz and Julián Arévalo, through the talk ‘The most representative festival of Miguelturra’, told us about the evolution of the carnival in the town, a festival that according to the speakers is not better before, nor is it better now, it is simply a carnival that has evolved as the people have wanted.

The chirigota de la Peña Los Cansaliebres closed the days with a short and emotional performance, performing the pasodoble ‘In the history of my town’, dedicated to the Kings of the Miguelturra Carnival.

Subsequently, Alberto Soria, Felipe Vaquerizo, Fernando Espinosa, Cristian Cofrade and Jesús Sánchez, explained how this pasodoble arose and its chirigotera evolution through the Miguelturra carnival.

The final touch was put by our Octavio with his songs to the rhythm of ‘Cocidito Madrileño’.

The official closing was carried out by Carmen María Mohíno, Councilor for Celebrations, Francisco Manuel Peco, director of the Days and Raúl Domínguez, president of the Association of Carnival Peñas.

Francisco Manuel Peco expressed his satisfaction with the development of these days, while Carmen María and Raúl Dominguez expressed their gratitude to Francisco for his involvement with the Miguelturra Carnival, through these days that help us get to know the most emblematic festival of the town.

On the street, the Flauti Flauti theater group, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, made three theatrical visits that also help us get to know the Churriego carnival and its street mask.