More than a thousand sheep passed through the center of Madrid. Photo Photo

Thousands of people gathered on Calle Mayor Street in Madrid on Sunday to watch the 33rd cattle festival - a herd of 1,250 sheep and 160 goats marched through the city centre.

Fiesta de la Trashumancia is a traditional annual Spanish festival held in Madrid, during which shepherds conduct herds of sheep and goats right through the historic city center.

The festival recreates the ancient custom of transjumantia - the seasonal migration of cattle, when shepherds drove herds from summer mountain pastures to winter plains and back. The modern festival in Madrid has been held since 1994 and aims to draw attention to the preservation of ancient pastoral trails and cultural heritage.

The herd came out of the Casa de Campo Park, crossed the Puente del Rey Bridge, passed through the historical center (streets of Cuesta de la Vega, Caye Mayor, Plaza de la Villa). This year, the route was changed and bypassed the Puerta del Sol square, where activists camped in protest at the housing crisis.

In Plaza de la Villa, shepherds carried out the traditional symbolic payment of 50 maravedis (historic Spanish and Portuguese coin) per thousand animals, a custom that has existed since 1418.

In late August, The Guardian reported that a severe drought in Spain led to a marked decline in the grain harvest. In Castile y Leone, it was 35% lower than last year, in the Madrid region - by 49%, and in Andalusia - by 24%. Production of sheep's milk decreased by 6.5%, goat's - by 10.8%.