We got lucky today. The door to a little museum that I thought was closed for the season appeared open when walking around downtown Alicante. We stepped inside and found a crazy, amazing collection of figures, photos, posters and memorabilia from the late 1800s to the present day.
The Museu de Fogueres is devoted entirely to the craft and art of fogueres, giant paper maché figures featured in parades throughout Spain that disappear in a burst of flames almost as soon as they are created. The most famous of all fiestas that feature these giant bonfires is the Las Fallas festival in Valencia in March when the entire town explodes into flames as they light all the floats afire at the end of the crazy festival. I have it on my “must-do” list of things to experience while living here, so this museum stop just gave me a taste of treats to come.
In Alicante’s museum, they make smaller, albeit life-size duplicates of some of the best examples of these giant award-winning displays from their own annual Fogueres event celebrating Saint John every June. Comical scenes, political parody and whimsical fantasy settings are all part of the art.
While I’m happy to wait until March for all the festivities in Valencia, our visit to Alicante’s homage to this uniquely Spanish art form was a big surprise on a lazy stroll through town. And its proof that the more we explore, the more this city unfolds its magic.
