The patron saint festivities are the greatest reflection of the popular culture of each region. It is not surprising therefore that, in La Rioja, all the festivities revolve around his secular obsession: the wine.
The best-known festival in Logroño is Saint Matthew, which is held at the end of September, coinciding with the grape harvest. But in the city the festivity of saint barnabas, on June 11, where gastronomy is even more important. And it is that the central celebration consists of gulping down a fried fish (almost always trout) with bread and wine at nine in the morning.
this particular popular breakfastwhich is run by the Cofradía del Pez, has a particular story behind it that, as always happens in this type of popular festivities, has 100 grams of reality and kilo and a half of invention.
Outside French, inside trout
The festivity of San Bernabé commemorates the victory, on June 11, 1521, of the Castilian troops besieged by the Franco-Navarrese army commanded by André de FoixLord of Asparros, in what is known as the siege of Logroño.
It is possible that the people of Logroño were eating much better than the French
Legend has it that around 30,000 French and Navarrese soldiers They besieged the city for 17 days, which survived on the fish supplied by the Ebro River, since the rest of the subsistence was destined to feed the last cow that remained in the city. This was getting fatter and it was shown to the French to spread the legend that all the inhabitants of Logroño, including the animals, had a superhuman size. They also say that, due to the siege, access to drinking water was cut off and the poor people of Logroño had to survive on bread and wine.
Current historiography agrees that around 8,000 soldiers participated in the siege (not 30,000) and the people of Logroño could not last eating trout for 17 days, if not more around a week. As much as there is absolutely no record indicating that someone went hungry.
Talking about victory is also relative, because it was André de Foix himself who decided to lift the siege and take to his heels before the imminent arrival of the Castilian troops under the command of the Duke of Najera and since his own troops had the quartermaster at a minimum. It is possible, after all, that the people of Logroño were eating much better than the French.
The Brotherhood of the Fish
In the days before San Bernabé Logroño was transformed into a medieval city. On the river bank some volunteers recreate the French camp, inside the city others recreate the soldiers from Logroño and at different times they even celebrate battle reenactments. And yes, there is also Medieval market with crepes and soaps. Impossible to get rid of this.
Although the legend always speaks of “fish”, today salmon trout from the farm is always distributed
At dawn on the 11th, skylights are lit to recreate that the city was awake at that time to fish and eat. But it is not until first thing in the morning when the Brotherhood of the Fish deploys in front of the ravelin arch, the only remaining vestige of the old city wall, huge kettles in which around 20,000 servings of fish are fried.
Logroño in its bars: 3 (Kilometer nine)
Although the legend always speaks of “fish” today it is always distributed farmed salmon troutalong with a roll and a jug of wine.
Historians are clear that the distribution of bread, fish and wine is a relatively modern traditioninvented less than a century ago by the same friends who founded the Brotherhood of the Fish.
Despite this, the Brotherhood is today an institution in Logroño. And it is not easy to access it. there can only be 26 Brotherhoods of Number, as a result of the sum of 11+6+1+5+2+1 (June 11, 1521). As they explain on his website, the only conditions to be a brother are “being children of the City and having distinguished themselves by their love for Logroño.” That and being available on June 11 to fry fish.
Images | Brotherhood of the Fish/Pacoperez6
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