The festivities of the Rose of El Poble Nou de Benitatxell of 2018 have brought to light a story that is part of the cultural and festive heritage of the municipality in which the history of the founders of the San Pancrazio festival is recovered.
The journalist and writer Poblera, Empar Ferrer, has made a research report on the origin of this party that took place yesterday Saturday. The initial celebration goes back to 1951 when the friends' club, the Quadrilla of Sarment, remembered for their social activism, promoted this festivity.
The report has been published in the holiday book and collects a score of old photographs about the origin of this event. An initiative of the Department of Festivals, by Nathalie Coning, the 2018 Festeros and its commission, which helps to reclaim and recover the story of a rock of boys a revolutionary point, since this rock knew how to get the most fun and comical part of life in the Franco era.
Ferrer comments on the report that "Their political concerns, brotherhood and their great sense of humor united them as good rural comrades. And together they made history by gestating San Pancracio, a curious libertarian and luminous party that knew how to perfectly merge religion with the most secular point in a moment in which winds of freedom were not blowing precisely. "
La Quadrilla of Sarment formed by Vicente García (Azaña), Vicent de Cuellet (Honorio Maura), Toni al Carmen (Macià), Vicente el Moreno (Marcelino Domínguez), Batiste de Ventura (Largo Caballero), Pepe el Anita al Povil (Prieto) , Kiko the Postman (M.Maura), Vicent de Martínez (Neighborhood), Vicent de Terrot (Caudillo), Sebastià Estalrich (Larroux), Paco al Guarda (Fernando de los Ríos), Kiko Martínez (Martínez Enido) and Vicent el Peó (Besteiro), received this name "Because they wanted to go to the Valencia failures and to win four dollars they were going to collect branches", reflects the report.
Creation of the San Pancracio festival
The idea came on the Monday following the 1951 Rose Festival. The day before it had rained and that Monday people could not go to the field to work since the fields were muddy. The boys of the Quadrilla of Sarment, gathered in a bar and wanting to mess, they devised an impromptu festival. They began to look for the figure of a saint. A neighbor, Uncle Gregorio, said he had a little San Pancrazio at home. It was a very small figure but it was too much, they considered it valid.
They set up some litters and improvised a procession with the collaboration of the priest of the moment. The procession left Trinquete Street and headed for the Church. The neighbors participated and it was a success. But the party did not end there. At the end of the mass, still wanting to have fun, some members of the club went up to the balcony of the town hall and they decreed that all the neighbors should dress up that afternoon. to give you more
packing the ordinance, Azaña served as mayor, Manuel Vallalta as councilor, the Postman for Secretary, Caudillo de alguacil and as paschal priest Calafat.
They were the first authorities of San Pancrazio. That's where the tradition comes from to pobleros and pobleras to name mayors for a day at this curious party.
