El Desarme

El Desarme is a food festival, a one-meal event, celebrated in Oviedo on October 19th every year. That date is the anniversary of the Battle of Oviedo during the First Carlist War.

The Carlist Wars

When King Ferdinand VII of Spain died in 1833, his widow, Queen Maria Cristina, became regent on behalf of their infant daughter Queen Isabella II. This splintered the country into two factions known as the Cristinos (or Isabelinos) and the Carlists. The Cristinos were the supporters of Queen Maria Cristina and her government, and were the party of the Liberals. The Carlists were the supporters of Infante Carlos of Spain, Count of Molina, a pretender to the throne and brother of the deceased Ferdinand VII. Carlos denied the validity of the Pragmatic Sanction of 1830 that abolished the semi Salic Law (he was born before 1830). They wanted a return to autocratic monarchy.

Three civil wars were fought between 1833 and 1876. In each of them, Catholic absolutist Carlists attempted to take over the country from liberalizing (later Republican) forces, and failed.

Battle of Oviedo on October 19, 1836

During the first Carlist War, the city of Oviedo declared itself a supporter of Isabel II. The Church was closer to Carlism. Arms were distributed to groups of citizens recruited to maintain order against possible outbreaks or Carlist attacks. On October 19, 1836, the column of the Carlist Sanz (Pablo Sanz y Baeza) entered Oviedo. There were clashes with rifles and bayonets that reached Magdalena Street. The Oviedo resistance triumphed and the title of Benemérita (THE Civil Guard) was written on the shield of Oviedo. The legend of the Desarme begins here. Supposedly, the soldiers were treated to a copious meal. In time this would become a celebration of the victory of the Elizabethan troops of Oviedo.

The History of Desarme Meal

After the publication of a recent study that explains the origin and evolution of the celebration, it is known that, in reality, the custom of eating chickpeas with cod comes from the end of the Carlist war (March 1876). Then, to celebrate the ” peace “and the” disarmament “of the population a rancho (a type of workers or soldiers communal meal) was offered to the army, people, soldiers wounded in hospitals and enemies in jail. It was, therefore, a menu to celebrate peace and forget quarrels. At the end of the 19th century, the custom began in Oviedo of starting the tripe season on October 19 (compared to other places, which prefer the San Martín festival, coinciding with the slaughter). There the hotel and catering establishments offering a menu disarme chickpeas with cod and tripe, which will end up being eaten together. Later, arroz con leche would be added to make a three course menu turistico.