A GUIDEPOST REPRINT: “The Semana Grande of Saint Jean-de-Luz,” 26 September 1969 »

A Semana Grande in Saint Jean-de-Luz? In France? Mais oui! The Semana Grande of Saint-Jean-de-Luz is a festival with a cultural purpose that outstrips the festivals in most Spanish cities on which it has been modeled. Saint-Jean-de-Luz in the Pay Basque is a French commune. And yet its ties to Spain is infinitely closer than its ties to France. The first Semana Grande of Saint-Jean-de-Luz was a commemoration of the 300th anniversary of the marriage of Louis XIV of France to the Spanish Infanta Maria Teresa. The tenth Semana Grande was a powerfully Spanish festival that wowed all those who came to attend.