The streets of Madrid were yesterday congested with a herd of sheep and goats, as well as thousands of people, during the annual festival that pays tribute to the rural heritage of this area.
The parade of sheep with bells, bleating, and music attracted the attention of numerous visitors.
Every year, the organizers of the Transhumance Festival /movement between seasonal pastures/ revive a pastoral scene on the streets of the capital of Spain.
The festival also points to the ecological benefits of traditional grazing, in which livestock is used to clear bushes and other flammable vegetation, thereby reducing the risk of the spread of forest fires.
This year, there were about 1.100 Merino sheep and 200 goats on the streets, the organizers said.
The Spanish capital is located on an ancient migration route that was part of a vast network of agricultural trails on the Iberian Peninsula.
Where the city is now located, there used to be open fields and forests crisscrossed by livestock trails. As part of the festival, the organizers pay the city a symbolic fee for the safe passage of animals.
Madrid has been holding this festival since 1994. Smaller towns in Italy, France, and California organize similar events.
Photo: Tourism Madrid
