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IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE FIESTA OF THE CASCAMORRAS HAS ITS ORIGIN IN ANTIQUITY, IN THE "PHARMAKOI" OF THE ANCIENT GREEKS AND ROMANS. EVERYBODY PARTICIPATES IN THIS RIOTOUS EVENT. THE CENTRAL FIGURE IS THE CASCAMORRAS, WHO STARTS OUT FROM THE TOWN OF GUADIX AND MAKES HIS WAY TO NEIGHBOURING BAZA TO "RECOVER" THE IMAGE OF THE VIRGEN DE LA PIEDAD, WHICH THE TWO TOWNS HAVE DISPUTED SINCE IT WAS
FOUND BY A GUADIX STONE MASON. THE PEOPLE OF BAZA PESTER THE CASCAMORRAS AND YEAR AFTER YEAR PREVENT HIM FROM CARRYING OUT HIS MISSION. AFTER HIS FAILURE, HE RETURNS TO GUADIX , WHERE THE PEOPLE THERE REPRIMAND HIM FOR HIS FAILURE. HOWEVER , AFTER AT THE END OF THE FIESTA , THE CASCAMORRAS IS CHEERED AND CARRIED SHOULDER HIGH TO THE CHURCH OF SAN MIGUEL WHERE HE PLEDGES ALLIEGENCE TO THE FLAG.

The basis is that the "Cascamorras" has to be fully cleansed to pick up thr Virgen from Baza, so when he tries to get into the town he is pelted with paint, so therefor is not fully clean and cannot have the statue of the Virgen, when he gets back to Guadix he is pelted again by the locals for not getting the Virgen back, he is then carried to the Church of San Migeul where he is cleansed.