​Historical Reenactment of the Alcalde Carbonero 2026

On August 22, 2026, the municipality of La Peza travels back to the year 1810 to commemorate one of the most heroic episodes in its history. The historical reenactment of The Charcoal-Burner Mayor pays tribute to Manuel Atienza and the courageous defense by the residents of La Peza against the Napoleonic army during the Peninsular War. Hundreds of locals will take to the streets to relive the events that gave rise to one of the region’s most legendary quotes: “I am the town of La Peza, which dies before surrendering”.

The history behind the reenactment

On February 16, 1810, Napoleonic troops entered the region of Guadix, spreading terror. In La Peza, a small municipality in the province of Granada, the town’s response was exemplary. Manuel Atienza, mayor of the town and known as the Charcoal-Burner Mayor, organized the local resistance against an army vastly superior in numbers and weaponry.

The story was immortalized by the writer from Guadix, Pedro Antonio de Alarcón, in his short story The Charcoal-Burner Mayor, turning Manuel Atienza and the people of La Peza into a symbol of Spanish popular resistance during the Peninsular War. Today, more than two centuries later, La Peza relives this glorious chapter every summer with a reenactment that has become one of the most unique and thrilling festivals in the province of Granada.

Parallel activities prior to the main day

Schedule for August 22

Morning

The Reenactment — Evening & Night

Points of interest during the reenactment

Tips for participants

Pedro Antonio de Alarcón and the legacy of La Peza

Pedro Antonio de Alarcón was born in Guadix in 1833 and is one of the most prominent writers in 19th-century Spanish literature. His short story The Charcoal-Burner Mayor is one of his most cherished works in the region, prized not only for its literary merit but also for transforming into literature the collective memory of a town that chose dignity over surrender.

The La Peza reenactment is therefore also a tribute to the writer from Guadix, who saw in Manuel Atienza’s story a universal narrative about courage, freedom, and the identity of a community. A story that La Peza keeps alive every summer with the participation of the entire town.