The festivities of La Plana de Jávea: when are they, activities and history

the festivities of La Plana, in honor of the Mare de Déu dels Àngels or Virgin of the Angels, are traditional festivals specifically framed in an area of ​​Jávea, La Plana: La Plana de Xàbia is the part where the Montgo forms a plateau that descends to the sea, ending at the Cape San Antonio. It is located far from the urban area and has special characteristics, because it is an area surrounded by nature, straddling the mountains and the sea, and where tranquility reigns. For these reasons, in the fourteenth century it was chosen for religious purposes and recollection by hermits seeking secluded places where to meet god. This is the germ of Monastery of La Plana o Santuari de la Mare de Déu dels Àngels, the nerve center of the festivities.

When and where are they

The first days of August, around the feast of the Virgen de los Ángeles, which is on the 2nd. Normally the festivities are celebrated between the 1st and the 3rd, and the central place is the Monastery of La Plana.

Image of the festivities of La Plana de Xàbia

Acts

The central act is the mass that is celebrated on August 2 in the morning in the Sanctuary, followed by the pilgrimage with the painting of the Virgin around the monastery.

Route of the procession through La Plana during the festivities

The playful and brotherhood part of these parties is usually made up of despertà with dolçaina and tabalet (the typical Valencian instruments, the first one for wind, the second for persuasion), popular festival, games, tastings of coca maria and mistela, brotherhood dinners (germanor's soup), raffles, raffles, games and snacks for children.

History and traditions

According to tradition, in the XNUMXth century, three centuries after the destruction of the Monestir de La Plana by Berber pirates, some hunters found a canvas of the Mare de Deu dels Àngels hidden in a tree trunk. This painting was placed in the hermitage that was built on the remains of the old monastery, and since then it has been the object of veneration. According to the book "La Plana, terra del llebeig", by Zurriaga i Agustí, in 1864 the Valencian writer Vicent Boix made this description of the festival:

"On August 2, these summits offer a highly varied perspective, joyful and religious at the same time. The inhabitants all of the town of Jávea, without class distinctions, and with them those of the neighboring towns and some more distant, fill this magnificent solitude, attending annually to celebrate the feast of the Virgin and to win the indulgence granted by Pope Pius VI in 1787. The evening before one or two flags float over the tower of the Chapel, as a sign of the feast From that afternoon and at the first dawn of the next morning, multitudes of people are seen coming from all the paths, either on foot or on horseback, who come to render to the sacred image the testimony of their faith and recognition. "

Pilgrimage around the Sanctuary of the Virgin of the Angels

In the old days, the houses of La Plana were filled with friends and family who came up there to parties. The main acts were the mass and the procession. There was also a DANSA (a dance) with dolçainers (musicians who play the dolçaina): the DANSA He left the courtyard of the hermitage and reached the end of the cypress path next to it, turned around on the cross and returned to the courtyard of the hermitage. Again, according to the work of Ferran Zurriaga i Agustí, this is how the party continued:

"Després de la dansà, the people continued to party in the cassettes on following the ball and the molta people were to sleep because of the garrofers. At the break of day, the" rompuda "came and the caçadors began to run La Plana. Grup de caçadors -les caçades- in prenia possessió d'una part. After the missa tots anaven a l'ermita began. There, at the voltant de l'ermita, there were parades that feien amb canyissos: two or three sucrers i Also feien bunyols. After the missa, the process that is feia pel mateix camí that the dansà i després the fireworks and the gall race. els dolçainers; a majoral donava the starting veu dient: "at one o'clock, at two, at three" i eixien amb tot el seu power els corredors to turn on the gall that penjava de la mà d'un majoral .. . "