The mayor asks that “the emotion, tears, consolation and gratitude” of the people of Benidorm towards the patroness saint “be used to make a better Benidorm”
Benidorm dramatrizes the Finding of the Mare de Déu and embraces her with thousands of flowers in the Offering
The Festes Majors Patronals de Benidorm experienced yesterday, Saturday, one of the most intense and emotional afternoons of this festive cycle, in which the people of Benidorm remembered the days of mid-March 1740 in which the image of which Today she is its patron saint, the Mare de Déu del Sofratge, aboard a boat that was sailing without a crew and adrift and that was towed to the coast by three sailors from Benidorm. The Staging of the Finding, declared a Festival of Tourist Interest in the Valencian Community, once again brought together hundreds of people in the Poniente arena to witness the event live, which has been represented every year since 1971 by the La Barqueta Cultural and Recreational Association. This year, in addition, had an extra incentive, thanks to the installation of four giant screens in Elche Park, which allowed it to be followed by many more people than in previous years.
The mayor of Benidorm and president of the Provincial Council, Toni Pérez, presided over the tribune of authorities at the foot of the sand to support La Barqueta in this emblematic representation, along with the queens of the Festivals, Angélica Morenilla Such and Daniela Talavera Ventura; the presidents of the Festival Committee and the Penyes Association, Vicente Solaz, and Ramón Cano; the mayor of Fiestas, Mariló Cebreros, and a broad representation of the Municipal Corporation; in addition to the regional deputies José Ramón González de Zárate, Manuel Pérez Fenoll and Mario Villar, mayorales, honorary mayorales and the general public. The one who on this occasion could not be at this date with history was the president of the ACR La Barqueta and president of the Festes Commission in perpetuity, Francisco Llorens, Rosera, for health reasons but whom everyone, actors and audience, kicked out. I miss a lot.
After a fantastic representation, which revived every one of the events that occurred almost three centuries ago and that were found by the historian Pere Maria Orts i Bosch in some files that are preserved in the General Archive of Simancas, and after the salvation of the image of the patron saint from among the flames, the entire procession left the Poniente arena to head towards Elche Park, from where the Pilgrimage departed in the direction of the church of San Jaime and Santa Ana.
Hundreds of Benidorm residents, residents of other towns, and tourists participated or applauded this parade along the entire route. And those who came out in it did so carrying bright and colorful bouquets or baskets of flowers as a sign of devotion to the patron saint of the Festival, to whom they blew kisses, asked for protection, or before whom they shed tears of emotion or sadness for the memory of beings. dear ones.
Among the most emotional moments were when the Queens and their Dames of the Festes Majors Patronals delivered their bouquets to the Mare de Déu, as well as when Daniela Talavera Ventura recited the traditional verse written by ' Cuqui' for the patron saint and Angélica Morenilla Such dedicated a few words to the people of Benidorm. They were in charge of opening the speeches, the highlight of which was the Official Proclamation of the Festes, delivered this year by Magdalena Simarro Cantos.
The town crier of 2023 recalled in her speech how, when she was very young, she moved with her entire family from her native Casasimarro to Benidorm and how this municipality welcomed them with open arms, to the point of making it their own and creating their own family here. She is a member of the parish council of the parish of San Jaime and Santa Ana, in which she is part of the choir and she is also a catechist; member of the ACR La Barqueta, and one of those in charge of singing and teaching 'Copletes' to sing, Magdalena Simarro gave a speech with many musical references, in which music was the guiding thread of a story that took us to her childhood and youth, mixing memories of the Fiestas, of her time as a Zaragoza Warehouse worker, of the first years of the Staging of the Finding, or the devotion she feels for the patroness saint of Benidorm. And she sang a 'copleta' to the Mare de Déu to end her speech: “And singing I say goodbye, asking for your protection, wishing good Fiestas, to the people of Benidorm.”
After the Official Proclamation, the president of the Festival Committee, Vicente Solaz, also dedicated a few words to his members of the Commission, queens and dames, supporters' clubs, authorities, and his own family, before giving way to the mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, who was the one who put the finishing touch to the evening already at the stroke of 11 p.m.
The first mayor introduced some verses by Antonio Machado – “Whoever speaks alone, hopes to speak to God one day” – to refer to Magdalena Simarro and her great passion for singing: “Whoever sings alone, will also speak one day with God and with the Virgin". Next, the first member of the Commission congratulated the queens, dames, members of the Commission, clubs, and the people of Benidorm, and then congratulated the crier for her speech: “Magdalena is the voice of the 'Copletes', of the Virgin of Suffrage, of the masses, even the moment of farewell to some of our loved ones” as a member of the parish choir.
Likewise, he applauded the great staging carried out by La Barqueta and the massive public participation in the Offering. Finally, he ended with a wish: “May all the emotions, the requests for comfort, the gratitude, and even the tears that we have seen here today, at the feet of our patron saint, never fall on deaf ears. I hope they serve to make Benidorm even better, the Benidorm that we all want.”
The interpretation of the official anthems of Benidorm and the Valencian Community and the firing of fireworks put the finishing touch to the official program of the day on Saturday, although the party continued with concerts, the atmosphere in the clubs, and many people in the city.
This Sunday, Benidorm celebrates the big day dedicated to the Mare de Déu del Sofratge, a day also full of events and which will have its most central moments in the mass, the 'mascletà', the procession this afternoon, and the singing of the 'Copletes'.
