The Association of Neighbors of Gran Capitán, in collaboration with the Montilla City Council, has presented the 24th Neighborhood Proclamation, an event that marks the beginning of the traditional Grape Harvest Festival. This event, which started in 2001 and was only interrupted during the pandemic, aims to keep the neighborhood's memory and experiences alive.
The program will revolve around the proclamation, scheduled for Thursday, and the popular festival, which will extend throughout the weekend. The latter is integrated into the Grape Harvest celebration, turning the area into a meeting point. It will include activities such as the reception of authorities and collectives on Saturday and the traditional paella day on Sunday.
The mayor of Montilla, Rafael Llamas, highlighted the importance of this celebration as part of the "essence and heart" of the Grape Harvest Festival. He emphasized that the proclamations are an "intangible heritage" that captures experiences that would otherwise be lost, and underscored the neighborhood's role in the contemporary development of the city, noting that approximately 25% of the population resides in this area.
The proclaimer, Rafael Jiménez, expressed his "great pride" in accepting the commission. His speech, titled ‘Motivos’ (Motives), will focus on three fundamental pillars of the neighborhood's identity: "the businesses, the educational centers, and the number of homes that were created here," addressing the area's evolution and the experiences of its residents.
The promotional image for the proclamation is a photograph from the early eighties, taken by the proclaimer's brother, showing the neighborhood under a rainbow. This snapshot, kept by Rafael Jiménez, illustrates the theme of memories and the history of Gran Capitán.
Javier Nieto, president of the managing committee of the Association of Neighbors, explained that the entity continues to maintain the tradition despite currently being managed by a small group, awaiting a new handover from local residents. "The association is above individuals," he stated, expressing the current committee's willingness to facilitate the transition.
The Montilla City Council thus recognizes the work of the Association of Neighbors of Gran Capitán in preserving this celebration, which now totals 24 editions and enriches the Grape Harvest Festival through neighborhood participation and the recovery of the area's memory.
