Corpus Christi Flower Carpets in La Orotava 2023

Every year in June, the town of La Orotava gets ready for Corpus Christi, a religious festival that reaches its climax when locals unroll their flower carpets and tapestries in the Old Town. The Flower Carpet is a unique, deeply-felt event, highlighting the religious feeling celebrated in Corpus Christi: the real presence of the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus in the elements of the Eucharist.

The tradition dates back to 1847, when Leonor del Castillo y Betancourt, the daughter of the Count of Vega Grande, made her own carpet with natural flowers to heighten the impact of the Holy Christ Procession and thus inflame the faithful hearts of the population. Having come down to us, it is a fine example of the happy marriage between religious feeling and creativity in town. Every year, dozens of different carpets are displayed.