Maybe you have noticed that next Monday, the 9th of April, is a local holiday in Valencia in honour of San Vicente Ferrer. In this article you will find out who San Vicente Ferrer was and how people in Valencia celebrate this day.
The date of this festivity changes every year according to the Easter. The date always falls on Monday after the Holy Week. Next year we will celebrate San Vicente Ferrer on Monday 29th of April.
San Vicente Ferrer was a preacher known mainly for his miracles. He was born in Valencia on 22nd January 1350 and named Vicente because he was born on the same day as San Vicente Mártir. He studied theology in Barcelona and France and later traveled around Europe delivering sermons in different cities. Later he returned to Valencia and became a professor of theology. He wrote several manuscripts and besides other miracles he predicted the arrival of Antichrist and the end of the world. He died in France in 1419. During his canonization in 15th century by pope of Valencian origin Calixto III, people remembered his 800 miracles and prophecies.
What do people in Valencia do on this festive day? The tradition is to go to offer flowers to San Vicente Ferrer’s native house. The first procession starts at 12 pm (noon) at Plaza Ayuntamiento. After the flower offering you can watch mascletà in Plaza Tetuàn. The second procession starts at 7 pm in the cathedral in Plaza de la Reina, continues to Capitanía (former Convento de Dominicos) and ends at San Vicente Ferrer’s native house (Carrer del Pouet de Sant Vicent, 1). The house is open to visitors. You can find there the miraculous well which (according to the legend) helped to fight the cholera epidemics in 1854. Check out the official page about San Vicente Ferrer for detailed info.
