More than 2.000 residents of Fraga participated in this Festival of National Tourist Interest, dressed in their traditional costumes.
Fraga celebrated its annual Faldeta Day this Sunday , with hundreds of residents once again showcasing their pride in Fraga's culture, traditions, and customs. This year, over 2.000 people took to the streets dressed in the traditional attire of the capital of the Bajo/Baix Cinca region, marking the largest ever edition of this Festival of National Tourist Interest, according to organizers.
It's difficult to calculate the number of visitors who have come to Fraga, but the City Council and several organizations have indicated that this is possibly the most well-attended edition to date . A sign that "things are being done right," as Arturo de Dios, a member of the Rondalla de Peña Fragatina, pointed out.
Regional and provincial authorities were also present today, a sign of Fraga's good relationship with other levels of government, as Mayor Ignacio Gramun pointed out. The Vice President of the Government of Aragon , Mar Vaquero , highlighted the value and character of Aragon, as well as its traditions , something that "is clearly visible and especially celebrated on a day like today, from Fraga." Furthermore, Vaquero encouraged all Aragonese to be proud of their roots and to continue working to give Aragon the place it deserves.
Carmen Susín, the regional councilor for Social Welfare and Family, also did not want to miss the event celebrating Fraga's tradition, accompanying Gramun and the rest of the municipal corporation.
The president of the Provincial Council , Isaac Claver , was also present at the Day of La Faldeta. Claver has a special connection to Fraga, but he also wanted to highlight the work that all the municipalities of Huesca have historically carried out to continue prospering over the years, something reflected in the celebration of their traditions and pride in their roots.
Ignacio Gramun and the governing team have expressed their satisfaction with the support of two such important institutions as the Government of Aragon (DGA) and the Provincial Council of Huesca (DPH). Above all, the City Council has expressed its gratitude for the massive turnout from Fraga, the Bajo/Baix Cinca region, and all the visitors who came to the city and filled the streets of the regional capital.
Idoia Moreno, from the Municipal Tourist Office, indicated that this year's edition had the highest number of scheduled visits , with tourists arriving from Zaragoza, Huesca, Lleida, and even France. Mapi Aquilue, Councilor for Festivals , had already noted the previous day that they were very pleased with the response to the new features of this year's festival: "This is the first year we've changed the date for the traditional prints. We know there are things to improve. We will continue working to ensure that this Festival of National Tourist Interest continues to grow."
The mayor of Fraga, Ignacio Gramún, praised during his speech at the Tribute to the Women of Faldetes, that this festival "goes ahead thanks to the collaboration between neighbors and entities, and the selfless work of many people, the generous and altruistic work of so many people from Fraga who experience this day with great devotion."
“I can assure you that this government team is committed to this task, working with the aim of further enhancing our customs, our traditional dress, our roots and the spirit of Fraga,” Gramún stated.
The festivities began at 8:00 a.m. with a reveille that woke the bride and groom (Javier del Río and Eva Guardiola), the protagonists of the day, whose central theme was the recreation of the painting 'La boda fragatina' (The Fraga Wedding) by the artist Miquel Viladrich. Following this, the short comic play 'Vestim als novios' (We Dress the Bride and Groom) served as a prelude to the large parade in which around 1.200 people participated. Among them were local, provincial, and regional authorities, such as the provincial president, Isaac Claver; the second vice president of the Government of Aragon, Mar Vaquero; and the Minister of Social Welfare and Family, Carmen Susín. They marched in their Sunday best, dressed in traditional local attire, alongside the mayor and the rest of the municipal council to the Church of San Pedro.
The wedding took place in San Pedro, complete with a traditional Aragonese Mass. Upon leaving the church, Javier and Eva were treated to traditional sweets and pastries. After the ceremony, the procession resumed and proceeded to the newly renovated Plaza España, where a waltz and a portrait of the newlyweds brought the morning's festivities to a close.
Throughout the morning, tourist visits, children's games, and artisan stalls took place in the Plaza de España, which this year once again hosted this Festival of National Tourist Interest after its renovation. In this regard, Gramún emphasized that the Día de la Faldeta (Day of the Skirt) “has returned to the heart of the city, to our Plaza de España, to keep company with our beloved statue of La Fragatina. Today, this monument is the emblem of our city, so being able to celebrate the most important day for Fraga in its most emblematic location is truly exciting.”
