These photos show the celebration of Corpus Christi in Lagartera in 1980. While they only partially document the procession, they give a glimpse of Corpus and the pueblo at that time. People who lived in Lagartera in those days may feel nostalgia, recognising many, if not all of the people depicted in the photos.
Corpus Christi is a traditional Catholic feast on the Thursday 60 days after Easter. The core element is a procession with the monstrance carried through the streets. In Lagartera the procession dates back to 1590. In some dioceses, though Corpus is still strictly speaking on Thursday, the procession has been transferred to Sunday, so that more people can take part. This is true for Lagartera. In 1980 the procession still took place on Thursday, while today it takes place on Sunday. The details of the Corpus procession in different parts of Spain reflect local traditions. Lagartera has a rich tradition of embroidering, such as the drawn threadwork below. It is no surprise then, that the finest and oldest embroideries are on display for Corpus.
What is more surprising is the tradition of setting up altars, where the procession stops for the priest to bless the household. So, if you walk round the pueblo in the early morning of Corpus, you will see people putting finishing touches to their altars. The altars are only brought out once a year. The fabrics displayed are fragile and valuable, so they are kept safe in chests for the rest of the year. They are inherited, usually by the person who inherits the house. Sometimes different family members take part in setting up the altar, using inherited pieces.
Below you can see family and helpers preparing the altar of Julian Garcia. There are cuttings of aromatic plants on the ground, so the air is sweet as people walk near the altar. Passers-by stop to admire the effect.
Whether or not you are Catholic, there is no denying that Lagarterans have created something of beauty which makes people feel good, whether they are visitors, or live in Lagartera.
Now Chencha, a Lagarteran with a special interest in the roles of embroideries and textiles in Lagarteran traditions. explains the altars and the procession:
Altars have always had the same structure; most of the draperies—whether net or drawn threadwork—are antique and come from the canopy beds of brides on their wedding days. Altars were set up by those who had the necessary items to decorate the altar and whose homes were along the procession route. The intricacy of wedding embroideries depended on the bride’s family’s financial situation. Very intricate embroideries represent an enormous number of hours creating beauty with a needle. Not all mothers could afford to spend all day embroidering, and/or pay very skilled embroiderers to help them.
Altars evolved over the centuries as new pieces became available, while their basic composition has remained the same. A statuette of the Infant Jesus, or a cross, is placed in the centre of the altar. The statuettes vary in style, and come from other parts of Spain and some even from other European countries.
This is Pepita Alía’s altar; which features the typical elements used to decorate a Corpus Christi altar. A bedspread hangs from the balcony. Below it is the front panel with scenes from the Passion. There are ‘pataratas’ curtains on either side of the altar, and a green blanket with red embroidery serves as a rug. (‘Pataratas’ curtains are made from strips of homespun linen fabric with wax-printed floral borders interspersed with strips of netting. These pieces are highly prized in Lagartera. There are also versions made of French calico and netting, but the linen and netting ones are considered more valuable.)
The priest was accompanied on the procession by the Cofradía, or Catholic brotherhood. From childhood, boys were enrolled in the Brotherhood of the Holy True Cross so that in the future they could become stewards or council members (if they could afford it, they would become stewards; otherwise, they would serve as council members under the incoming steward). The stewards wore the cape they had worn on their wedding day—a cape not everyone possessed.
Above, the procession leaves the Church. Women could also be members of the Cofradía, but they did not pay a fee.
As far as historical records indicate, the procession has always followed the same route from 1590 to this day.
We have joined the procession moving up the hill to the square, and are approaching Pepita Alía’s altar.
Here you can clearly see the net-like fabric with unicorns; the Infant Jesus is a polychrome wooden carving, dressed in traditional Lagartera attire. The cushion at the foot of the altar is for the priest to kneel on.
We move up the hill and reach the altar of Julián García (nicknamed ‘El Largo) and Julia; the drapes are lace-trimmed bedspreads showing the Passion; the front features the same patterns as the bedspreads; one of the drapes is made of netting; the rug is a quilted blanket in green and red, and there is a lace-trimmed cushion. The Baby Jesus on this altar is a Good Shepherd dressed in a sheepskin coat.
Now we are in the Cruz Square.
The priest gives his blessing at the altar of tía Quisca, the mother of Aurora and Filomena.
This altar features a front panel depicting the Passion, drawn-threadwork hangings trimmed with a fringe, and a woven striped rug.
The cofradia in the Cruz Square. The boys and girls standing around the canopy where the monstrance is carried are wearing their First Communion outfits.
We have now moved to Pintor Sorolla Street. This altar belongs to Aunt Petra and Uncle Mariano.
The altar has the structure of a small chapel that extends into the doorway of the house. It consists of a transparent piece of fabric that allows the owners of the house to see and welcome the arrival of the monstrance.
On each side inside the door, there are curtains made of drawn threadwork with various antique borders, and above there is a net canopy. On the sides outside the doorway, there are bedspreads depicting the Passion, made of drawn threadwork squares joined together with a woven border made on a hand loom, as are the finishing fringes.
The table is dressed with a tissue front piece. It has a sacramental sheet, calico quilt, friars’ cloth, and tissue cover. (Tissue is a silk fabric woven with threads of gold, silver, or coloured silk, while ‘friars’ cloth’ is a very delicate silk muslin fabric.)
Underneath the table there is a striped rug made with old looms. The Infant Jesus is from Olot, Catalonia.
The cofradia looks at tía Petra and Tío Mariano’s altar.
Further up the hill is the nuns’ school’s altar.
Next is the convent school; the tapestries are also made of drawn threadwork. I remember that they used to place the chapel’s tabernacle here instead of a statue of the Infant Jesus. The women are kneeling on the aromatic plants that have been spread out on the ground like a natural carpet.
The procession has arrived at the nuns´ altar.
The children at the back are the boys and girls who received their First Communion that year; they scatter flower petals before the monstrance at each altar.
Next is the altar of Félix Moreno and Maria.
It features a beautiful antique front panel with a scalloped edge and horseshoe-shaped fringes in white and blue. The Infant Jesus is from Prague. The Infant Jesus is a replica of an original from Prague.
Next is the altar of Petra Igual; her neighbors are waiting with her for the Blessed Sacrament.
On the left are Juliana and her mother, Leoncia. Then there’s another Leoncia, who made traditional stockings for the Lagarteran costume. In the background, behind the sheer net curtain, is Juana from the tobacco shop. This Infant Jesus was called “the blond one.”
The sheer fabric is made of netting, as are the curtains at the sides. These pieces are very old (they consist of strips of wax-printed linen interwoven with strips of netting). The table is similarly draped.
The Infant Jesus is a polychrome wooden carving dressed in a tissue outfit.
In the last photo, Juana, Amador’s wife, is hanging the sheer cloth on the altar’s canopy. The altar is draped in white, with a small cross on top, as a sign of mourning.
When a family is in mourning, the entire altar is dressed more soberly, for example, in white tones with beige drapery. The table may be entirely dressed in white and beige, with a simple cross is placed there, or the Infant Jesus may be dressed in a white tunic or just a ribbon.
Thank you Chencha for sharing your knowledge.
Corpus is a Catholic celebration. The Lagarteran version of Corpus combines this with a celebration of the pueblo’s identity and its traditions, as well as a collective effort at artistic creation that is common to many religions, not just Christianity.
The whole neighbourhood helps with the setting up of some of the altars, not just the individual households. Neighbours contribute aromatic herbs, and climb ladders to set up the pieces. This collective effort brings people together.
The route of the procession covers only a small part of the pueblo. The route was set up in 1590, and the pueblo has expanded since then. Even so, people from other parts of the pueblo contribute by decorating their part of Lagartera, so contributing to the whole experience.
Back in 1980, there was no need to celebrate the traditional costume, because many older women still wore the traditional costume every day. Today, women and men wearing a fancy, luxury version the costume are part of the procession. It was also a more intimate celebration in 1980, held on a Thursday, and most people attending were Lagarterans. Today’s Corpus, held on a Sunday when more people can attend, has opened its doors to outsiders. There is both continuity and adaptation to changing times.
Text: Hortensia Garcia Moreno (explanation of the altars and procession) and Alison Lever (introduction y conclusion)
Photos: Alison Lever
Lagartera, Toledo, March 2026