By Verónica Blanco


Typical Madrid´s dresses 
Hello, my name is Isidoro but everybody calls me Isidro. I am going to tell you my history :
  I was born in Madrid in 1070. My family was very poor and I had to work in the country when I was a child.

   When I was young, I married with a girl, María de la Cabeza. I still love her today. I fell in love with her because she liked help people. I fell in love with María because of her character. My wife has the same likes, we are catholic and we respect everything that was created by God.

   At that time I was working like a servant of Ivan Vargas, and my companion accused me of dedicating a lot of time to prayers and not much to work. One day my owner asked me for water because he was thirsty but I didn´t have any water. At that moment, I heard a stone saying "When God wants water, here there is water". Suddenly, water started pouring out of the ground and it make a fountain that still exists now, and the inhabitants of Madrid drink of it because they think that it has quality curatives. 

   One of the most famous events of my life , happened once that I was tired, I fell asleep and an angel finished my work.

   Now I´m going to talk about what the celebration is like because I haven´t told you, but I am the patron saint of Madrid, of the farmers. Since century XVII, it is celebrated on May 15, in fact it started on may 8th. Goya painted San Isidro´s grassland picture. This painting reflected very well the festive environment there because it is very happy and bright.

   La Pradera de San Isidro, by GOYA

One of the essential acts is the bullfighting fair, there are forty bullfights. In this celebration there are concerts, quiz shows, exhibitions, dances...There are also fireworks over the Almudena Cathedral in the Vistillas gardens. The processions are present on the 15th of may; one of them goes out to the Real Colegiata of San Isidro and brings the patron saints of Madrid, María and me. Moreover there is a pilgrimage in the grassland that is called like me. Mesonero Romanos tells about it in "Escenas Matritenses". 

SAN ISIDRO 
by Maria Mora and Rocío Martínez




Goya

ANA: Hello!
GEMA: You are 5 minutes late. How you are dressed!
ANA: It is because today is San Isidro festival and I am wearig the typical costume. 
Shall we go to the party?
GEMA: Which party?
ANA: It is a very old party. My mother and my grandmother told me that it was very 
nice and with a lot of people.
GEMA: San Isidro? Who was it?
ANA: He was a ploughman, who worked for a landownes in the 11th century, and he
Spend a lot of time praying.
He married María, who was also a Saint, and they had a child.
GEMA: And why is he so popular?
ANA: Because even after his life, he worked wonders; he saved his own child who had 
fallen down into a well.
GEMA: How interesting. Do you know anything else about him?
ANA: Yes, of course. There is the legend of the fountain. One day his master asked for 
some water and as there wasn´t, the saint hit a Rock saying; 
"When god wanted, there was water here" and suddenly a spout of water come 
out.
This is a miracle and this water is considered to be healing.
GEMA: Well, let´s go to the party!
ANA: Ok, Clara is coming now.
ANA Y GEMA: Hello!
Hello! GAT shall we do?
ANA: Let´s go to the bullfight. 
And what about this tradition?
ANA: It´s very old. Ever the kelts attributed the bull with magic power. They thought 
that all it´s power lay in the heart, eyes, head, and in the tail.
Tell me about the bullfights. 
ANA: There are 6 bulls, from about 450 kg each one, and 3 bullfighters, dressed with a
very special costume. The animals suffer a lot, and finally they are killed with a 
sword by the bullfighters.¡
GEMA: Shall we go eating?
Look! There are people over there eating the traditional stew and some fhitters.