Among other things Alcalá la Real is known for its Holy Week and for the monument complex of La Mota, which has two aspects : the Church-formerly a mosque- and the Fortress both of which are national monuments. Its Holy week which has been declared of National Tourist Interest, is genuine because the star feature is not the beauty of the images but rather the population that actively participates in the preservation of rituals that have their origin in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
Of all the brotherhoods that of the Apostles and of the Ecce Homo are the centre of attention on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. In these days one sees such images as that of the Army of Jews, with white faces and a helmet adorned with flowers in recognition of spring or the image of Los Sayones, with black faces, representing the Roman troops, who will enact the Passion of Christ in various stages. The town criers will recite verses in a distinctive tone, accompanied by music of tin trumpets and rattling drums.
Etnosur has become one of the most attractive summer events in the cultural panorama of Andalusia and an exemplary ethnic festival, with days of fellowship marked by cultural mingling and tolerance. Artists from numerous countries will show off their varied folklore without interruption through music, dance, theatre and a long schedule of cultural activities for you enjoyment. This city, a melting pot of the splendour of the Cordovan Caliphate and the Nazarite Kingdom of Granada , and whose emblematic monument is the La Mota fortress, also holds festivals in august to entertain any tourists who wish to relax in this pleasant land.
