Sant Xotxim
La Vilavella
History
The neighborhood of San JoaquÃn de La Vilavella is made up of the streets of Barranco, San Sebastián, San JoaquÃn, l'Horta and l'Oriet, which was structured around the Barranco well into the 19th century.
The beginnings
The history of the San JoaquÃn de La Vilavella festivities dates back to 1941, in which an organizing committee made up of 4 women decided to move to Villarreal to commission the sculptor Pascual Amorós with an image of San JoaquÃn.
Thus, on August 2, 1942, the saint would be welcomed before the crowd that was waiting for him with great enthusiasm and illusion. This would remain in the house of Juan Adsuara until August 9, the day on which it is blessed and was taken in procession through all the streets of the neighborhood.
Bulls
In the year 1945 the exhibition of the bulls began, a tradition that continues to the present day, leading the San JoaquÃn neighborhood to be one of the venues with the most history and respect for the bull on the street. It was 9 years later, in 1954, when the first bull from the Samuel Flores ranch, named Clavelito, would be acquired, which would begin a relationship that lasts until today.
Founding commission
On October 1, 1949, the act was signed that would form the first festival committee of the San JoaquÃn neighborhood and that would leave Juan MartÃnez Almela as president along with 8 other components.
Bullpens
In 1964 the land that currently makes up the bullpens was purchased, which until then had been the property of Vicente Carratalá Monlleó. A year later, they were inaugurated and from this moment the bulls would no longer be locked up in the corrals of houses that were suitable for the occasion.
25th anniversary
1967 would be a remarkable year in history and it was the 25th anniversary of the festivities. For that occasion, the streets were decorated and an offering of flowers was made to the saint. This same year, the first lights would be installed in l'Oriet street, which years later would be an emblem of our festivities as all the streets were illuminated. Also the same year, Pascual Casino, would compose the song "Les festes de Sant Xotxim" and that to this day continue to mean so much at parties.
50th anniversary
The year 1992 came the long-awaited 50th anniversary. A competition was prepared between the streets of the neighborhood to decorate them in the most spectacular way possible. On the other hand, Vicent Felip Sempere delivered the relic of San JoaquÃn, which already celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2017.
75th anniversary
In 2017, the celebration of the 75th anniversary began with the inauguration of a photographic exhibition, and the presentation of the book that included the history of our neighborhood. During the festivities, a procession was held through all the streets of the neighborhood, decorated by the 75 clavarios and different brotherhoods, which concluded with a mass celebrated at the end of the ravine street. The icing on the cake came with an incredible concert of the most important musical performances in our neighborhood. It was possible to restore the anda and the images of San JoaquÃn and Santa Ana with the collaboration of the Diputación de Castellón.
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