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Sheep, goats cross downtown Madrid in echo of past practice

As part of the Transhumance Festival, organizers make a symbolic payment for the right to use the drovers' route that crosses the capital. The payment presented at Madrid's city hall in medieval Spain's currency consists of 50 maravedis, as stated in an agreement between the city and shepherds that dates back to 1418.

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The closeness of the animals delighted the urban dwellers who gathered to watch the unfamiliar ritual. Children tried to touch the soft merino wool of the locally bred sheep.