Castile and León Day

The birth of the Battle of Villalar as a rallying symbol for Spanish liberals dates back to the late 17th and early 18th centuries. León del Arroyal, an illustrious economist and protoliberal, stated that Villalar was "the last breath of Castilian freedom" in the latter half of the 18th century. The Castilian Comuneros received their first major recognition during the Trienio Liberal, the three years of liberal government from 1820-1823. Resistance fighter Juan Martín Díez "El Empecinado" organized an expedition to Villalar to search for the remains of Padilla, Bravo, and Maldonado, the executed leaders of the revolt. These events took its climax with a festival and celebration of the Comuneros Revolt in the plaza of Villalar on April 23, 1821. Members of left-leaning secret societies often referenced the revolt in their names, such as "Los Comuneros" or "Sons of Padilla." They also employed the purple banner, the flag flown by the comuneros rebels. While dormant for a time after the Bourbon Restoration to the Spanish throne, occasional recognition of Villalar and the Comuneros came from some of the short-lived liberal governments of the period. For instance, President Francisco Pi y Margall of the First Spanish Republic stated that "Castile was among the first nations of Spain who lost their freedoms in Villalar under the first king of the House of Austria."

In the early years of the 20th century there were other attempts to celebrate at Villalar. Among them was a proposal by José María Zorita Díez, a liberal deputy for Valladolid, who made a special request for funds to commemorate the Battle of Villalar. There were also various requests and preparations to celebrate the fourth centenary of the Battle in 1923; the city council of Palencia proposed in early 1923 that "on next April 23, all the representatives of Castile go to the fields of Villalar and swear upon the Castilian Holy Grail, at the scene of the Fall... On the same day and at the same time all the cities of Castile dedicate a minute of silence to the heroes of Villalar." Little came of these attempts to celebrate April 23, however.

The 2005 celebration in Villalar

By the early 70s, much of the reputation of the Comuneros had been rehabilitated after generally positive portrayals by historians such as José Antonio Maravall, Juan Ignacio Gutiérrez Nieto, and Joseph Pérez. In 1976, a gathering of about 400 people met at Villalar. While they were violently dispersed by the Guardia Civil, the meeting the next year was far larger, with almost 20,000 attendees to celebrate the Battle and organize Castilian groups. The meetings continued on an unofficial basis until 1986, when the government of the then-recently recognized autonomous community of Castile and León granted its official stamp of approval.

On 22 April 1987, a sixteen years-old punk died in Villalar, during a fight between punks and heavys at the town. The victim was stab-wounded twice.[1] The killer was detained on April 27, and recognized the aggression.[2] On late September that year, the aggressor hanged himself to death in Villanubla Prison, Valladolid, allegedly due to a depression episode.[3]

The 2006 floral offering to the Comuneros in Villalar

The acts normally begin on the evening of April 22, with performances by musical groups and a zone of free camping for the night. On the morning of April 23, the main ceremonies take place alongside the monolith erected in tribute to the Comuneros. Each political party makes a floral offering to the monolith and gives a speech. Throughout the day, political activities and speeches alternate with dances, music concerts, sports, exhibitions, street theatre, and other Castilian-themed recreational activities.

The entity responsible for organizing the infrastructure needed for the celebration in modern times is the "Villalar Foundation of Castile and León."[4]

Attendance

A giant flag of Castile with purple background, the colour attributed to the Comuneros, in the main square of Villalar, 2007

Attendance at Villalar on 23 April year by year, 1976-2013
Year	Minimum	Maximum
1976	400[5]	600
1977	15,000[6]	25,000
1978	200,000	250,000
1979	80,000	100,000
1980	30,000	50,000
1981	9,000	15,000
1982	30,000	30,000
1983	10,000	10,000
1984	10,000	30,000
1985	15,000	25,000
1986	4,000	10,000
1987	10,000	15,000
1988	6,000	10,000
1989	2,000	3,500
1990	3,000	5,000
1991	7,000	7,000
1992	5,000	10,500
1993	9,000	10,000
1994	5,000	8,000
1995	3,500	3,500
1996	10,000	10,000
1997	15,000	20,000
1998	20,000	20,500
1999	30,000	30,500
2000	5,500	6,500
2001	18,000	20,000
2002	38,000	40,500
2003	25,000	40,000
2004	25,000	35,000
2005	19,000[7]	40,000[8]
2006	22,000[9]	22,200[10]
2007	25,000[11]	25,000[11]
2008	20,000[12]	22,000[13]
2009	26,000[14]	26,000[15]
2010	20,500[16]	25,000[17]
2011	16,000[18]	16,000[19]
2012	15,000[20]	15,000[21]
2013	20,000[22]	20,000[23]
Unless otherwise noted, compiled from Source: Pérez y Pérez (2005), p. 317

• This article incorporates text translated from the Spanish Wikipedia article Día de Castilla y León, licensed under the GFDL.
• Pérez y Pérez, Federico (2005). Castilla y León: Autonomía dividida. De la Guerra de las Comunidades a la campa de Villalar de los Comuneros (1520–2004). Burgos: Dossoles. ISBN 84-87528-92-9

• Text of the Law establishing the holiday (in Spanish)