The Granada village that honours a French King

On 25 August, Albondón celebrates the feast day of its patron saint, Saint Louis IX, King of France, one of the most prominent figures of medieval Europe and an example of a monarch deeply committed to faith, justice and service to his people.

Canonised in 1297, Saint Louis is recognised as one of the great historical figures of the Secular Franciscan Order. His feast day takes on special significance in Albondón, where devotion to the saint forms part of the religious and cultural identity of village.

The village of Albondón is situated on the southern slope of the Sierra de la Contraviesa and the locals make their living mainly from vineyards, almonds and figs. It is about 100 kilometres from Granada city and 86 kilometres from Almeria city.

Local cuisine includes highlights such as migas con engañifa (a dish made with fried breadcrumbs), puchero (a soup made with chicken, meat bones and chick peas), cured meats and a lot more. It is well worth sampling the local dishes and tapas in its bars and restaurants and visiting the church, Moorish-style streets, hamlets, farms, wine cellars and exploring the various walking routes. Albondón’s wine has been renowned since time immemorial and the bread from its two bakeries is regarded as some of the best in the area.

When writer and storyteller Tico Medina began visiting the Alpujarra, sometimes accompanied by the renowned guitarist Andrés Segovia, his favourite lunch was ham cut into cubes accompanied by homemade bread and Albondón wine. Tico Medina was a great enthusiast of La Alpujarra and visited it whenever he could.

Recently, the village of Albondón has also become famous thanks to the statue of ‘The Pregnant Woman’, erected by the town hall in front of a shop selling groceries, lottery tickets and gifts owned by José Daniel Fernández and his wife, Ana Belén Fernández.

Hundreds of people flock to Albondón every week to buy Christmas lottery tickets and run them around the belly of ‘The Pregnant Woman’ in the hope that she might bring them luck. Even the mayor of Albondón has come started bringing the annual festival programme to pose with Ana Belén and the sculpture, which has gone viral on social media amid the popular belief that it brings good luck in every sense.