Oliva celebrates San Antón

Week one warm-up

PATRON saint of animals San Antón (Sant Antoni in valenciano) makes his appearance practically as soon as the Three Kings have returned to the Orient and rubbed down and fed their hard-working donkeys – but the festivities in honour of the 105-year-old Egyptian who cured a wild boar's litter of blindness do not necessarily take place on his actual 'saint's day'.

A week-long or weekend's warm-up happens from around January 10 each year, with Mediaeval markets and porrats, a type of fayre selling dried fruit, candied fruit, and nuts – and, in Oliva's case, massive cauldrons of steaming, succulent, saucy, hearty paella for everyone cooked up in the old town (bring your own cutlery; plates are normally provided).

The famous 'pet blessing' (more on that in next week's Costa News) is typically held on the nearest weekend to January 17, which is 'officially' San Antón's day, and huge bonfires shared between neighbours for dancing around and baking potatoes on are lit on either or both weekends.

It's a cosy winter-warmer of a fiesta, almost anything goes – dressage displays, crêpe stalls (check out the popular one in Beniopa, across the dry riverbed from Gandia), sports day races, motor displays, live theatre, live music, arts, crafts, pet parades, and the obligatory Mediaeval fayre.

And it's big in La Safor, especially in Gandia, Oliva and Beniopa.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 10

17.00: 'Modernist fair' opens – period costumes, paella for everyone in the Raval district, classic bicycle display, craft market, antiques, ceramics and pottery

19.00: Official opening of the 'modernist fair' and San Antón fiestas

SATURDAY, JANUARY 11

10.00: 'Modernist' fair and Mediaeval market opens, plus food fair and clubs and societies fair(until 14.00)

11.00: Children's games and workshops (until 14.00), plus guided tour of Oliva old town starting from the local history and Casa Mayans museum

13.00: Paella for everyone served in giant cauldrons in the Raval district (as pictured)

16.00: Another chance to catch the free guided tour of Oliv old town, starting from the archaeological museum

16.30: More children's workshops and games (until 19.30)

17.00: 'Modernist' fair and Mediaeval market reopens, plus food fair and clubs and societies fair (until 22.00) 18.00: Live music and dancing, Mediaeval style

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12

10.00: 'Modernist' fair and Mediaeval market opens (until 14.00) plus cyclist rally

11.00: Guided tour of Oliva old town (from same starting point as at 11.00 the previous day)

12.30: Exhibition of classic bicycles and chance to ride one yourself

20.30: Live Valencian-style folk music

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16

09.00: Traditional porrat de Sant Antoni – dried and candied fruit and nut market – plus Mediaeval market, toy and sweet stalls, in Sant Roc square.