La Loa La Alberca

The Loa of La Alberca, an intangible cultural asset and a popular play, performed at the patron saint's festival of the town of La Alberca-Salamanca in honor of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, which takes place on August 16. Its origins date back to the 17th century , as stated in various notarial protocol documents of the Provincial Historical Archive of Salamanca, and even to the 16th century.

The performance shows  which the victory of good over evil is staged, but with the particularity that it is one of the oldest medieval sacramental autos in Spain, the deep-rooted tradition it has in La Alberca, and the peculiarity of its characters. The most notable is undoubtedly the one known as the “serpent” , a monster with the body and head of a goat, and with seven snake heads, which represent the seven deadly sins. The devil appears on the serpent's back , and a fireworks display begins , simulating the fires of hell. The devil tempts the gallants who are about to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption, but at that moment, the Archangel Saint Michael appears...

The actors and actresses of the Loa are the townspeople themselves , who volunteer to stage the performance. By performing it year after year, they know the text of the Loa, or parts of it, by heart, allowing the townspeople to easily play any role in the play and ensuring there are never a shortage of actors for the performance. It is a tradition for certain families in the town to take on specific roles and perform them year after year, passing from parents to children and even grandchildren. The attire of these characters remains the same year after year, making it easier for the audience to visually identify each of the participants.