Madrid Festival Sees Sheep Take Streets in Annual Transhumance Celebration

Thousands of sheep and goats filled the streets of Madrid on Sunday as part of an annual festival celebrating the ancient practice of moving livestock to new grazing grounds. The event, known as the Transhumance Festival, drew crowds of tourists and locals.

Madrid is situated on an ancient migration route that was once part of a vast network of farming paths across the Iberian Peninsula. The area where the city now stands was once characterized by open fields and woodland intersected by droving routes.

This year's festival deviated from its traditional historical path to avoid the Puerta del Sol, the city's central square, which is currently occupied by a housing activist protest camp. The housing protests intensified last month following the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her long-time home in downtown Madrid. The woman died in the hospital shortly after her eviction.

The livestock procession proceeded through central Madrid, accompanied by the sounds of bells and bleating. The festival also highlights the environmental advantages of traditional grazing, where livestock help clear brush and flammable undergrowth, thereby reducing the risk of wildfires.

Transhumance, the seasonal movement of livestock between pastures, is experiencing a decline in Spain. This trend is linked to a population exodus from the country's interior, which began around 1950 as younger generations moved to cities for work and opportunities.

MADRID has hosted the festival since 1994. Similar events are held in towns and smaller cities in Italy, France, and California. In Spain, modern farming techniques have led to transhumance being maintained by only a small group of farmers who preserve the tradition for both its environmental and cultural significance.