Main Events of the Festivals

The Pregonillo has long been considered an official event, and thus it deserves mention here. In this curious event held on Friday morning, a herald dressed in period clothing and carrying a papyrus travels through various streets and squares in the center of Cartagena announcing the upcoming start of the festivities.

The Transfer of the Sacred Fire passes through the most emblematic places in the history of Cartagena: the Roman Theatre, the Temple of Isis, and the Forum, until reaching Mons Arx Asdrubalis, one of the five hills that, like ancient Rome, the city of Cartagena possesses. This event usually changes each year, telling new stories, adding new locations, or conducting the Iter Ignis race, which brings the Sacred Fire from other places in the Region of Murcia.

The Lighting of the Sacred Fire is the starting point of the festivities and takes place in various incomparable settings in Cartagena. With the magic of the enchanting rhythm of ritual dances as a backdrop, the Priestesses, Priests, and Vestals cast their prayers to the wind, invoking the Punic and Roman gods to send us the Sacred Fire that is lit before the Opening Ceremony and with its light protects our ten days of festivities.

From there, we move to the City Hall of Cartagena, where the distinction of Festero Honoris Causa is awarded, and the generals Hannibal and Publius Cornelius Scipio rally their troop and legion representatives, leading to the Opening Ceremony of the festivities. Each year, this pronouncement falls on a figure of national relevance. Throughout the history of the festivities, important personalities such as Arturo Pérez Reverte, Belinda Washington, the Morancos, Carlos Latre, Javier Cárdenas, and many others have delivered the opening speech. After the proclamation that officially inaugurates the festivities, a march to the festival camp is held for the attending authorities and the herald to cut the ribbon, inaugurating the festival camp and allowing the entry of the Sacred Fire, symbolizing the official opening of the festival grounds.

On the morning of the first Saturday of the festivities, alongside the Carthaginian children, we attend the representation of the Children’s Foundation of the city, an exceptional prelude to the historical event of the Foundation of Qart-Hadast that we will see in the evening. This act recounts the past story of Mastia.

The Foundation of Qart-Hadast is the starting point of the festivities and tells the story of the Barca family from the death of the patriarch Hamilcar to the founding of Qart-Hadast by the Carthaginian general Hasdrubal the Handsome in 227 BC. The event portrays family interests, fears of conquest, death, and freedom.

Dies Lustricus o Nasciturus is a Roman children’s festival in which the festival-goers present the new members of the Troops and Legions born that year, who are consecrated to enhance the city and the Festivities.

The Destruction of Saguntum is another essential event of our Festivities, as it represents the capture and destruction of the city at the hands of the Carthaginian soldiers, which serves as the casus belli for the Second Punic War.

In the Plenary Session of the Senate, the session of the Roman Senate is humorously staged, leading to the declaration of war. The senators make all kinds of comments, sharing festival and political gossip that has taken place in the city over the past year.

The Weddings of Hannibal and Himilce, one of the most impressive events of the Festivities, represents the betrothal of the Carthaginian general Hannibal and the Iberian princess Himilce, with the participation of all the Carthaginian troops. The young general Hannibal Barca, son of Hamilcar Barca “The Thunder,” is proclaimed as the Supreme Commander of the Carthaginian troops in Iberia after the death of Hasdrubal the Handsome. Hannibal continues the policy of rapprochement with the peoples of Iberia and will seal a pact of friendship with the Iberian tribes by marrying the young Iberian princess Himilce, daughter of King Mucro of Cástulo, a prosperous kingdom located near the current city of Linares. Initially, the couple does not accept the imposition of the marriage, but gradually, love blossoms, and the wedding takes place with the full consent of both, amid the acclamation of the Carthaginian troops, usually set against the incomparable backdrop of the Port of Cartagena.

After the wedding, the Nuptial Celebrations begin in the Camp, where visitors can join in marriage through various Punic rites performed by the different Carthaginian troops.

At dusk on Tuesday, the princess Himilce, wife of Hannibal, consults the Gods about the future of the city and her family in the Oracle of Tanit, an event filled with magic and mystery. When the moon shone on the night of the offering day, the doors of the Temple of Tanit opened to the people of Qart-Hadast. Princess Himilce, saddened by Hannibal’s departure to Sagunto, goes to the Temple of Tanit to consult the goddess about her marriage and the future of the city. The oracle predicts the future of the princess and the city.

With the Pruebas de Aspar and the Ludi Romano, the Carthaginian and Roman streets of the festival camp step back in time and transform into a field of competitions, games, and attractions for the children of Cartagena. During this event, the festers from the Troops and Legions accompany the children in a series of competitions to test the skills of the little ones, which the prince Aspar, son of General Hannibal and Princess Himilce, is said to have gone through before becoming a true Carthaginian warrior. The Oath of Enmity to Rome, made by Hannibal to his father, Hamilcar Barca, before the Punic god Melkart at the age of nine, is also celebrated before he set out for the Iberian Peninsula.

In the Feriae Latino taking place on the Roman street of the camp, the festers from all the Roman Legions perform different acts, inviting the public to participate in the games and activities. The Roman festers will shower visitors with attention and invite them to sample the culinary delights and Roman beverages, allowing everyone to enjoy this return to the streets of ancient Carthago Nova. The Feriae Latino was an annual festival in honor of the god Jupiter that lasted three days, and the date for its celebration was set annually by the incoming consuls during the meeting that the Senate of Rome convened at the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus.

The Children’s Parade is the opportunity for the future stars of our festival to show the Carthaginians and visitors the great warriors they will one day become.

In the Comitia Centuriata, the Roman generals gather to plan the ideal military strategy that will lead them to defeat the Carthaginian troops of Hannibal Barca. They express their fears, their strengths, the military capacity of the Roman army, and the rise of Publius Cornelius Scipio as the general who will present the infallible plan.

The Romans believed that the confrontation with the Carthaginians would take place on the Iberian Peninsula. However, the long-term strategic vision of General Hannibal led him to devise a more ambitious plan to subjugate Rome. While the Roman Senate sent all its forces to the Iberian Peninsula, Hannibal left his brother Hasdrubal in charge of the peninsula troops and launched his army on an incredible journey across the Pyrenees and the Alps to attack Rome from the North.

In the Disembarkation of the Carthaginian Armada, the troops land in the port of Cartagena to join Hannibal’s army before beginning the march toward Rome.

The Recruitment of Mercenaries recreates the preparations for this great campaign when General Hannibal offers a tribute to the mercenary troops in exchange for their alliance in the war, ensuring that he has the largest possible army to face the Romans.

The March of Hannibal’s Departure to Rome demonstrates Carthaginian might as the troops march through the streets of the city to the festival camp, commemorating the Carthaginian general’s departure to Rome with an army of approximately one hundred thousand men, including cavalry and a considerable number of elephants to transport materials and later use them in battle.

Almost at midnight on Thursday, organized by the Extraordinarii Legion, the Design of the Gods shows us Scaevola, commander of the Extraordinarii, and General Publius Cornelius Scipio near Qart-Hadast as they visit Marta the Syrian, the priestess of the goddess Bellona—sister of Mars and goddess of War—to hear the design for the upcoming battle. After a trance from the priestess, the goddess Bellona appears as a mortal to show her approval of the offerings and reveal the design of the gods: the Romans will win the battle against the Carthaginians and take Qart-Hadast, but in exchange, they demand the life of the commander of the Extraordinarii.

The day of confrontations begins with the Sporting Maritime Battle, an original regatta between Carthaginian and Roman ships held in the Port of Cartagena, featuring lively entertainment. It’s an opportunity for the Carthaginians to defeat the Romans, defying history, and they rarely miss this chance. The competition takes place in both male and female categories, using eight-oar boats with a coxswain, involving members of the Carthaginian troops and Roman legions. The victory, as is tradition, is celebrated with a mass swim.

The Disembarkation of the Roman Armada recreates the arrival of the Roman naval forces led by Admiral Gaius Lelius, who will join the legions waiting on land under the command of General Publius Cornelius Scipio. Once the disembarkation is complete, the general will inspect the troops, giving his final orders and speeches before ordering the attack against the Carthaginian forces defending the city of Qart-Hadast.

The Great Battle for the Capture of Qart-Hadast is the emblematic event of the Festivals, representing the combats between the Carthaginian and Roman armies, culminating in the city’s capture by Publius Cornelius Scipio in 209 BC. All military units from the Carthaginian troops and Roman legions participate in this act, recreating the struggle between these two peoples to possess one of the most important jewels of the Mare Nostrum. The din of battle, developed according to the General Staff’s strategy, thrills the large audience gathered to enjoy this event filled with attractions: heavy and light weapons, battering rams, catapults, slings, bows, arrows, swords, falcatas, gladii, daggers, and daggers, spears with various types of spearheads, javelins, pilum, hoplons, scutum, horsemen, chariots, and standards. An endless array of weaponry, along with a grand display of period costumes, represents the Battle for the Conquest of Qart-Hadast on the Cuesta del Batel.

The Great Roman Military March for the Capture of the City showcases the might of the Roman legions as they enter the city of Qart-Hadast, which is designated by its Latin name Carthago Nova. Roman legionaries, senators, catapults, and chariots parade through the city streets, concluding at the festival camp. Although the battle has been fierce, the reward is great, as Cartagena will remain Roman for many centuries.

Organized by the Legio IV Quinto Trebelio, the Homage to the Fallen honors the Roman soldiers who died in battle by laying a laurel wreath at the funerary monument of the Torre Ciega, a magnificent example of Roman funerary architecture dating back to the 1st century BC, dedicated to Titus Didius. This ceremony also includes a special remembrance for all the festival participants who have passed away during the year.

Following the surrender of the Carthaginian general Magon, the Victory of Rome is enacted with the Liberation of the Hostages of Carthage, the presentation of the Double Wreath of Victory, the handover of the city’s command to Marcus Sempronius, and the Proclamation of the Law of Rome. In a unique case in Roman history, General Scipio presents two Wreaths of Victory, one to the legionary Quinto Trebelio and another to the sailor Sextus Digicius, as both vie for the glory of being the first Roman to set foot in Qart-Hadast during its siege. This remarkable historical event is commemorated with the representation of the Double Wreath of Victory on the coat of arms of Cartagena.

To conclude, the Roman governor proclaims to the people of Carthago Nova the beginning of the new legal order that will govern the city’s destiny, representing the foundation upon which many of our current laws are based.

In the General Parade of Troops and Legions, all festival participants, regardless of whether they are victors or defeated, dress in their finest attire for a joint parade along a spectacular route through the city’s streets, culminating at the festival grounds. This is the only occasion when all festival groups, whether from the Carthaginian or Roman side, can be seen parading together. It is a spectacle filled with music, drums, floats, and war machines traversing the city streets for the delight of the spectators.

The Roman Circus is one of those shows that you cannot miss—almost mandatory if you want to see Carthaginians and Romans in all their glory. In it, gladiators, horses, dancers, and characters take the stage to showcase ruthless battles, dance, and risky fire performances. The Roman Circus is an event that is not organized every year due to the extensive planning it requires, making it intermittent and held every other year. It decides the fate of the fighters… life or death!

Finally, the Extinguishing of the Sacred Fire takes place, which was lit to start the festivities. The Vestals, Priestesses, Priests, and representatives of the Troops and Legions traverse the streets of the festival area, extinguishing and silencing all camps along their way, until they reach the stage where the Sacred Fire will be extinguished and the Anthem of Cartagena will be sung. To conclude, a Fireworks Castle.

The end of the festivities is, in reality… a new beginning.