Location

At the Estrella hermitage, located three kilometres away from Atienza.

Other data

The Order of the Santísima Trinidad also known as the Order of Arrieros or Recueros de Atienza, is made up of a series of brothers who are obliged to carry out various rituals , failure to carry these out is punished with fines of varying magnitude.

The most important roles are the priest, the last six or seises, the fiel de fiches or secretary, and the Abbott.

Other members include the butler or "sayón", the "monda" or mondadero, the flag bearer and all the brothers "who have not served at the rod".

Finally, the three women must be mentioned. Although the order is masculine, these women occupy key roles, known as the "priosta" or wife of the "prioste", the "seisa" or wife of the principal "seise" and the mayordoma or wife of the butler.

How to get there

Road transport

The festivities begin the evening before, when the members of the Brotherhood of the Holy Trinity walk to the Estrella hermitage dressed in Castilian costumes made of dark corduroy, long dark capes and wide brimmed hats, accompanied by a flageolet and a tambourine.

On their arrival, the “three women” dress the Virgin while the brothers cut the "mayo” near the hermitage. The mayo is a large fronded branch decorated with a profusion of “roscas” (ring shaped cakes), oranges, lemons and fruits that they will plant after the religious acts of the following day. Once the brothers have finished their preparatory work they gather to eat the seven tortillas of the vigil, made with different fillings, that recall the seven days taken by the herdsmen to transport the Child King to Segovia.

The big day of La Caballada is Whit Sunday. Around 8am the brothers arrive on lavishly decorated horses to the house of the "prioste", and from there to that of the abbot, and together they all walk in pilgrimage to the Estrella hermitage. Once there, they get down from their horses and the procession begins and there is the curious auction of the banzos or arms of the processional platforms, measured in bushels of wheat.
Following that, there is Mass, and later they plant the "mayo" in the hermitage esplanade, and begin to give out the cakes and fruits hanging from it, also in bushels. Once these have been given out, the branches of the tree are cut and given to the participants.

Finally there is the dance of the Virgin, a kind of Castilian jota, danced by the brothers to the sounds of flageolet and tambourine.

Then it is lunchtime , all the participants disperse except the brothers of the order, who, on the words of the monda (the flag bearer): "Dear brothers, let us eat", will go up to the dining room of the hermitage to eat the obligatory meal of roast lamb, a lettuce heart and raisins. Once the meal is over, they return to the village on horseback, just as they did in the morning, and in the afternoon, in the village, the brothers race each other on horseback in pairs.

Dates

Whit Sunday.

Area

Regional Tourist Interest and National Tourist Interest.