The First Spain Tour: Madrid, Toledo, and Lagartera
Lagarteranos waiting to begin walking in the Corpus Christi procession.
Corpus Christi in Spain is an experience! I created this tour as introduction to the textiles, art, and culture of Madrid and the Castilla-La Mancha region after discovering the traditional clothing of Lagartera, a village about an hour from Toledo. We began the trip with a tour of the Prado and walk in El Retiro Park and followed it with a tour of the Royal Tapestry Factory the next day. We were lucky to also see an exhibition of Palestinian tatreez embroidery and textile works by contemporary artists. After a visit to the Museo del Traje, we finished the day with dinner and a flamenco show.
Corpus Christi, the Catholic holiday celebrating the Eucharist as the body of Christ is a holy day for the faithful. Tapestries hang over balconies in the streets in Toledo and people dress in their finest clothes, many wearing the garb associated with associated religious groups, referred to as brotherhoods. After a church service people parade through the streets with the Eucharist carried in a large gold and silver monstrance, a vessel made for this purpose. The monstrance in Toledo, commissioned by Queen Isabella I in 1495 weighs over 250 pounds.
In Lagartera, people display filet lace, printed cloth, and embroidered and appliquéd textiles passed down through the generations as altars in their doorways. The oldest piece of filet lace we saw dated back to the 1600s! Locals also process through the village with many in traditional dress, accompanying the priest who carries the monstrance of their church.
Learning embroidery from locals is always a highlight of the tour. We are lucky to have a workshop with two Lagarteranas keeping their textile traditions alive, stitching in the home courtyard, enjoying a cake and coffee, and being able to inspect their family embroideries up close.
Madrid
Textiles
Thyme covered the street for route of the procession in Toledo. Thyme represents the humility of the Virgin Mary, is a purifying offering to God, and serves as a fragrant reminder of the faithful "pilgrim’s" temporary journey on earth. It smelled so good!
Stitching demo with one of our teachers in Lagartera.
Lagartera: People create altars in the doorways of their homes with textiles handed down for hundreds of years, a figure of the Christ child, and table coverings made for the bride’s bed.
Join us next year for another special small group tour in Madrid, Toledo, and Lagartera! Tentative dates: May 23 - 31, 2027.
Email me to add your name to the early notification list. Registration will open in September.
The Cathedral in Toledo with decorations for Corpus Christi 2026
Vestments in the Cathedral in Toledo.
Our group before the Toledo procession.
Intricate embroidery and gathering on the cuff of a women’s blouse from Lagartera.
Lagartera apron, embroidered socks, and ribbon-covered shoes.
Rosemary, fennel, and flowers covered the street in front of homes on the procession route in Lagartera.