The Misterio of Elche
Every other year the people of Elche perform their Misterio in the
autumn to coincide with the day of All Saints. Our tour coincides with
the 2010 performances giving clients the opportunity of witnessing one
of the most astonishing and moving popular cultural events in Western
Europe.
The Misterio is the dramatized musical story of the events leading up
to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It is performed by men and boys
and its diverse musical content ranges from plainsong to Renaissance
polyphony to 18th century choral writing. It is visually stunning with
splendid costumes and complex and breathtaking aerial machinery to represent
the appearance of heavenly personages. It is unforgettable.
Elche is a fascinating city in its own right, unique among Spanish towns
in having two world heritage phenomena: the Misterio, of course, and
its extraordinary palm forest: the Palmeral.
DAY 1: We fly to Alicante airport and make directly for our home for
the week: the lovely Hotel Huerto del Cura set in the middle of Elche’s
grandiose Palmeral.
DAYS 2 & 3: Elche has a long and distinguished history stretching
back to pre-Roman times and encapsulated in ´La Dama de Elche’,
Spain’s most famous Celtic-Iberian artefact. It has a superb clutch
of museums in which every aspect of the city’s culture can be
explored. The Palmeral is remarkable and parts of it have been landscaped
into ornamental parks and gardens.
On Day 3 we travel north to the wine lands of Yecla and Jumilla visiting
a winery and going on to Paco Gandía’s restaurant in El
Pinoso to taste his unique and wonderful paella cooked over vine shoots.
DAYS 4, 5 & 6: The performances of the Misterio will be our principal
concern and we shall attend one of the Dress Rehearsals for which we
can acquire reserved seats and the performance proper for which we vie
with the people of Elche for the best view (all part of the experience!).
The Great Day itself is 1st November.
On Day 5 our itinerary takes us to Murcía, a splendid historic
city where our visits embrace the magnificent Baroque cathedral, a wealth
of civil and church architecture and fine museums including the Museo
Salzillo devoted to the 18th century sculptor whose work brings the
city to life in Holy Week.
DAY 7: Our final excursion takes us down to a city whose eminent history
stretches back two and a half millennia. Novo Cartage, modern Cartagena,
is a living history lesson whose many monuments and museums are a model
of enlightened cultural revival.
DAY 8: We take our return flight from Alicante to London.
THIS TOUR DEPARTS: 28th October 2010
OUR HOTEL: Is the 4-star Huerto Del
Cura set in the heart of the Palmeral
NUMBER IN GROUP: 12-16
THE PRICE OF THIS TOUR: £1570
(single supplement £170)