With a stamp that reproduces the poster announcing the San Fermín festivities, Correos pays homage to this very popular event within the POPULAR FESTIVALS series.
The poster has been chosen through a popular vote where you could choose between 10 posters, the winner obtaining 20% of the total votes. The author is Olaia Merino Erviti and her title: Beti Bezala (As always).
According to legend, San Fermín was the son of the Roman chief of Pamplona around the 3rd century. Saint Saturnin converted him to Christianity and ordered him to prepare in France, finally staying in Amiens where his remains rest after being tortured and murdered, turning his life into a legend.
In the 12th century, the then Archbishop of Pamplona, Pedro de París, brought a relic of the saint to Pamplona and deposited it in the city's Cathedral.
Over time, the cult spread throughout Navarre. For the inhabitants of Pamplona, the existence of a saint who, moreover, had been the first archbishop of Pamplona filled them with pride.
Like any legend, this one also has its supporters and detractors.
What unites everyone is that, starting on July 6, every year, Pamplona bursts with emotion with the festivities in honor of San Fermín.
That day the famous chupinazo takes place, which has its origin in a man from Pamplona named Juanito Etxepare who started the custom in 1931 of launching a rocket to start the party. The custom was taken up in 1939 by Joaquín Ilundáin, and institutionalized in 1941 as we know it today.
As for the running of the bulls, historians place the first ones in the 16th century. The herd went on horseback from the Baluarte corrals to the old bullring, located in the current Plaza del Castillo. At that time the running of the bulls was known as “entrance” and began when the San Cernin clock struck 6 in the morning.
Later the horse men were joined by townspeople, mainly butchers. In the 19th century, despite the use of new means of transport to take the bulls to other locations, Pamplona continued to do so on foot. According to the governor of 1861, Trinidad Sicilia, the old practice was maintained because "it gives animation to the festivities". It was then that running in front of the bulls became popular.
