Madrid is preparing an elaborate floral display for Pope Leo XIV’s visit, with artisans working to ensure every detail is ready for the Corpus Christi procession on Sunday, June 7. Miguel García, president of the Association of Carpet Makers of Corpus Christi of Ponteareas, in Pontevedra, Galicia, is overseeing the creation of the floral carpets that will line the route the Holy Father takes after Mass in Cibeles Square.
García represents the fourth generation of a family dedicated to the ephemeral art of floral carpets, and his daughters make up the fifth. The tradition in Ponteareas has been part of the local cultural heritage for more than two centuries.“The Corpus Christi tradition is over 200 years old. It is the oldest tradition on the Peninsula,” García told ACI Prensa. “For me, it is an honor that they have proposed us to be the ones to make these carpets.” The celebration is a Festival of International Tourist Interest, recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Xunta de Galicia, and is part of a candidacy for UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list. But García emphasized, “it is a tradition that is done for and by the Blessed Sacrament.”
Galician carpet makers, with help from volunteers, will install 16 floral carpets along Alcalá Street — eight on each side. The designs will require more than 30,000 carnations, mainly white and yellow, arranged in ornamental compositions inspired by Eucharistic symbolism. The initial project planned for a single carpet, but last-minute route changes forced a complete redesign under time pressure. Preparations began weeks ago, with women dedicating their afternoons to preparing the natural flowers. “The carnation isn’t used whole; you have to cut it all and prepare the petals,” García explained.
The flowers are pre-processed in Ponteareas so only the heads and petals are transported to Madrid, reducing weight and simplifying logistics. The unveiling will begin on Saturday afternoon, with final creation of the carpets starting later that evening. García designed the carpets himself. Although route restrictions required several modifications, he included symbolic elements. “It also includes a subtle nod to the keys of the Vatican against a scallop shell background, to remind us that next year is a Holy Year of St. James,” he said.
The carpet makers of Ponteareas also created the floral carpets for Saint John Paul II’s visit to Santiago de Compostela in 1982 and for Benedict XVI’s visit to Madrid in 2011.
Marta O’Connor, director of the floral events company “Santa Misa Santa Mesa,” will oversee decoration of the altars and liturgical spaces for the Pope’s visit to Madrid. She also worked on World Youth Day in 2011. “The floral decorations are the last thing to be added to the stages, because with the heat we’re also working with a very tight timeframe,” O’Connor told ACI Prensa. “I think it’s a tremendous opportunity and an even greater privilege, because we have to support and welcome the Holy Father as he deserves. And if I can do my bit, I’m happy to do so,” she said.
The project involves about 80 florists and landscaping specialists and will cover several events, each with a different focus. The youth vigil in Lima Square will emphasize “energy, freshness and renewal.” The meeting with the diocesan Church in the Santiago Bernabéu stadium will have a tone of sobriety and contemplation. The event with civil society in the Movistar Arena will be “joyful, worldly, cultural and artistic.” The meeting with volunteers at Ifema will combine a farewell atmosphere with renewal. The decoration will also include Almudena Cathedral, where the Pope will make a floral offering to the Virgin with a rose.