English
Français
Deutsch
A wonderful way to explore the City of Cordoba which lies an easy day trip away from Cortijo las Rosas:
PATIO CONTEST (CONCURSO POPULAR DE PATIOS)
The third, and most famous, of the four annual spring-time events, the Festival of the Patios is in early to mid-May, and lasts for 10 days. Home-owners compete for a prize for the most beautifully decorated patio. It’s a rare chance to see inside these 40 or so traditional courtyards, some of which are always viewable through cancelas (iron gates), are as most of them are only actually open to the public during this festival.
Due to a hot, dry climate homes in Córdoba were built with a central patio even back in the days of the Romans. This tradition was continued by the Moors and persists in many homes even today. Filling the central patio with plants and water features has always been a way to keep local homes cool. But, thanks to human creativity and ingenuity, patio decoration ended up taking on a life all its own and at some point, someone realised that these hidden treasures were just too good to be kept tucked away behind heavy doors and iron grates. So, once a year, the doors open and everyone is invited in to see the wonders of Córdoba’s patios.
These patios not only offer a visual feast of colourful flowers, stone mosaics and ceramic decorations, but also bring out the classic scents of Córdoba: jasmine and orange blossom mixed with a myriad of scents from the many other flowers and plants that bring the city – and this festival – alive.
