Juan Pelotero and the Innocents will pay their tradtinional annual visit to Calasparra on Wednesday December 28 and offer an opportunity to live an ancient history and unique cultural tradition which has been repeated over hundreds of years.
Juan Pelotero is the traditional, popular character with origins in the 15th century who takes to the streets with his gang, The Innocents, are made up of the Town Clerk, the Judge and the Jailer.
They carry a stick, annex book and a turkey feather pen, symbols of municipal authority which they use to fine people for whatever ocurrs to them, as ridiculous as it seems. Their aspect is bizarre in the extreme.
Juan, the main character, has his face painted blue and ambles around blandishing his weapon: a curved stick with a cloth ball on a string (pelota means ball in Spanish and gives the character his name).
The game basically means any Calasparrian can give them small change avoid being beaten but to beat someone else. When Juan Pelotero completes finds his charge the victim must pay more small change to avoid being beaten or to return the favour to the person who nominated him/her.
The «game» is good humoured and the «weapons» of Juan Pelotero and his gang are totally harmless in this unique Calasparrian tradition.
Juan Pelotero is the traditional, popular character with origins in the 15th century who takes to the streets with his gang, The Innocents, are made up of the Town Clerk, the Judge and the Jailer.
They carry a stick, annex book and a turkey feather pen, symbols of municipal authority which they use to fine people for whatever ocurrs to them, as ridiculous as it seems. Their aspect is bizarre in the extreme.
Juan, the main character, has his face painted blue and ambles around blandishing his weapon: a curved stick with a cloth ball on a string (pelota means ball in Spanish and gives the character his name).
The game basically means any Calasparrian can give them small change avoid being beaten but to beat someone else. When Juan Pelotero completes finds his charge the victim must pay more small change to avoid being beaten or to return the favour to the person who nominated him/her.
The «game» is good humoured and the «weapons» of Juan Pelotero and his gang are totally harmless in this unique Calasparrian tradition.
