Today is San Isidro's feast, Madrid's patron saint. Thousands of people take part in a pilgrimage to the shrine of the Saint, a small hermitage near the Vicente Calderon Stadium. San Isidro supposedly worked here as a laborer tending his master's fields. One of the many miracles he performed was striking the ground with his staff to let a crystal clear spring water flow from the ground. Tradition dictates that today everyone must drink from this fountain, which has healing powers.  |
| San Isidro's fountain |
The place to see this feast in all its splendor is the Pradera of San Isidro, a meadow near the banks of the Manzanares River which is now a public park. People then enjoy a picnic, where a variety of food stalls offer all the typical dishes of Madrid.
You can find Goya's statue in the spot where it's said he painted two of his most famous paintings about this feast: "The Meadow of San Isidro" and "The Hermitage of San Isidro" both found at El Prado Museum. If you use your imagination and get rid of the modern buildings, the view from the meadow is almost the same as when Goya painted these pictures.