Cordoban May

The Cordoba calender has a succession of unrivalled celebrations in May. The City of Three Cultures astonishes those who wish to enjoy the city in all its splendour. Cruces de mayo (May crosses), courtyard competition and the fair are what's offered by this beautiful city during an especially intense month of May.

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The starting shot gives way to the lively Battle of the Flowers, a spectacular parade of flower-decorated floats which passes through Cordoba to greet the Spring. From there, huge crosses decorated with Manila shawls, flower pots and flowers are raised in patios and plazas.

Neighbourhood associations and local clubs install bars to serve typical tapas and drinks that are a comfort to the visitor. Everything is livened up by Sevillanas music and night-time dance performances.

Strolling through the neighbourhoods of San Basilio, San Andrés and San Agustín gives the tourist a perfect view of Cordoba in May.

Soon after, from May 4 to 15, the popular Courtyard Competition is held. Due to the dry and hot climate of Cordoba, the inhabitants of the city, first the Romans and later the Muslims, adapted the popular house type to their needs by centring the house around a courtyard which normally had a fountain in the centre and often had a well that collected rainwater. The Muslims re-adapted this scheme, entering into the house from the street through a vestibule and hanging abundant vegetation to increase the feeling of coolness.

Since 1918, the City Council has organised a competition of Courtyards and Crosses during the first week of May, in which the owners diligently decorate their houses in order to win the prestigious prize offered by the Consistory.

In parallel, a celebration is held with numerous folkloric performances where you can see the best flamenco singers and dancers of the region. This is all accompanied by Montilla-Moriles wine, a fino (a light-coloured dry sherry) from the region with typical tapas.

The most characteristic neighbourhood is the Alcázar Viejo, between the Alcázar (the fortress) and the San Basilio church, although we can also find examples in the Santa Marina neighbourhood, around San Lorenzo and the Magdalena.

Around the Mosque-Cathedral, the Judería (Jewish neighbourhood) also has many examples of beauty and history. The finest example is found in the Viana Palace, offering two different courtyards.

Coinciding with the Courtyard Competition is the Railing and Balcony Competition, where inhabitants of the city participate by decorating their typical railings and balconies with brightly-coloured flowers.

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And, while visiting all of these charming nooks, there's nothing better than stopping to enjoy a good wine from the region. Each year, at the beginning of the month of May, the Montilla-Moriles wine tasting is held in Cordoba.

The famed Denomination of Origin wines are the protagonists of the celebration, where more than 20 wineries participate and the people of Cordoba get together to taste the wines of the region and the most typical tapas.

Fino, Amontillado, Oloroso, Cream, Pedro Ximénez, Blanco Joven and white Pedro Ximénez are the different varieties presented in the tasting.

Without a doubt, the tasting is an essential plan for sampling the best wines of the province.

As the culmination of this festive month, the Cordoba Fair arrives celebrating Our Lady of Health, the patron saint of the city. From May 20 to 28, horse-back riders, gypsies and flamenco artists are found at the Arenal venue, as well as in the stands found set up in an orderly fashion through the various streets of the fair-ground.

These stands are public, and visitors can enter through any of the open doors , which is precisely part of the fun. The joy of Sevillanas, fino, tapas, Cordoban hats and ornamental combs make this fair rival those of the rest of Andalusia.

During its duration, numerous important bullfights are held in the Los Califas bullring showcasing today's top bullfighters.