Imogen Calderwood
The daughter of American author Jerome Mintz has once again donated a cloth cap to one elderly gent in the town of Benalup-Casas Viejas.
The tradition came about after locals translated a book Carla Mintz’ father had written about the famous Anarchists in the town.
The book ‘The Anarchists of Casas Viejas’, hinges on the events surrounding the massacre of a dozen local Anarchists by government forces in January 1933.
They had mistakenly believed there had been a nationwide uprising and imprisoned the local police and priest declaring the area a republic.
However, the revolution had been called off, the news not having reached the town, and days later it was attacked by government forces leaving a dozen dead.
Jerome Mintz, who died aged 67 in 1997, stayed in the town several times while gathering information from people for his book and was particularly interested in the legends and traditions behind the March 1 carnival and other fiestas.
The book was published in America in 1982 but the villagers only discovered it when ten years later a visitor produced a copy in a bar on the square.
It was then translated by local people and a Spanish edition was soon published by the University of Cadiz.
Mintz visited the town on a number of occasions wearing his celebrated cap, which he donated to one needy villager. The tradition has been kept up.
For more information on the anarchists, Jerome Mintz and Casas Viejas visit: http://historiacasasviejas.blogspot.com.es
