In the official brochure of Aquelarre 2024 you can consult all the details of the party held in Cervera on the weekend of 30 August to 1 September.
The document includes the schedule of events for the popular Cervera festival, with the timetables, spaces, information of interest, recommendations, etc.
The non-mixed percussion group of Cervera Band Tokades is back this year at l'Aquelarre and will be premiering its sixteenth show, the Bandruaid assembly, which can be seen on the night of 30 August in Plaça Major.
Bandruaid it will be a tribute to all the women who have made spaces outside the norm a place of resistance throughout history. Returning to the origin of the Aquelarres' imaginary path and non-mixed spaces, Bandruaid will fill the Plaça Major with play, viscera and discomfort. The leading elements will be the percussion, the movement, the live voices and the game.
The group assumes the artistic direction of the show and returns with a renewed team with recent additions. The musical direction of the show is in charge of Pau Terribas. Rita Costa assumes the choreographic and movement direction. The synergy of the fifteen women and the support of many others will make the Friday night of the Aquelarre unique this year.
Of 2003
Band Tokades was born in 2003 to Cervera i, at present, has twenty members. The group has performed in different proposals around the country, fusing all kinds of styles: samba, bailão, guaguancó, etc.
Monday 19 In August, Sant Magí water was distributed throughout the city, in charge of the traditional retinue formed by the rouquets loaded with argadelles with boxwood, the musical band Alegria, the anchorwoman and the delivery men.
In the main square, in front of the Consistory, they received the water the father in chief, Jan Pomés, the councilor of Urbanism, Antonio Delgado, and the councilor for Historical and Archaeological Heritage, Monte Closa.
The distribution of water miraculous is the main event of this party, organized by the Association of Friends of Sant Magí.
The traditional water inlet, taken from the Sanctuary of Sant Magí de la Brufaganya, took place on Sunday evening 18 in the square of the Station. The entourage, accompanied by the Cervera Music Conservatory Band, he made the journey to Sant Magí square.
Fiesta de San Magin
It is an event that brings together all the people of Cervera around the Sant Magí neighborhood. The party consists of the distribution of water miraculous of the Sanctuary of Sant Magí de la Brufaganya, in the Conca de Barberà, with mules and horses loaded with argadells garnished with boxwood.
The day 15 August goes to Sant Magí de la Brufaganya to look for the miraculous water. There the pitchers are filled with water and the boxwood and lavender are harvested that on the day of the festival·loca inside the church and which also perfumes the streets with its peculiar smell.
The day 18, towards the evening, the entry of the water is made with the mules and donkeys that carry the argadells garnished with boxwood. They are accompanied by the Conservatory Band, which plays two traditional havaneras typical of the day, and the anchorite, who dressed like the saint opens the march.
The day 19 the procession goes around the whole city to distribute the miraculous water.
Complete information about the festival can be found at http://santmagi.cervera.cat/
The Aquelarre 2024 this week the sale of tickets to be able to make use of the party's camping area begins. The facilities·campsite sites will be located on Avinguda de Guissona, next to the Cervera multipurpose pavilion. People interested in using the camping area can purchase the pass for the two nights of the Aquelarre (a: Practical Information Aquelarre).
The camping area will offer the public access to toilets, showers and pool. The vans, campers and caravans will not be able to access the campsite, but a parking space will be enabled next to the camping area. The space will open on Friday 30 of August at 12 from noon and will operate until Sunday 1 in September 18 hours.
Monday 22 the campaign has started in July 2024 of excavations at the archaeological site of the monastery of Sant Pere el Gros de Cervera, which will be executed in two phases during the months of July and August.
In a first phase, the archaeological work will be carried out through a work field, organized by the General Directorate of Youth of the Generalitat and the Paeria de Cervera; and in a second phase, through a preventive archaeological intervention subsidized by the Department of Culture of the Generalitat. All phases of the campaign will be developed under the scientific and technical direction of the team of archaeologists attached to the University of Lleida (UdL).
In the field of work, managed by the leisure cooperative Qualia, a total of 13 teens, of among 15 i 17 years, coming from various parts of Spain. During their two-week stay in the city, they are based at the Jaume Balmes school, where they use the gym and the dining room. They combine the archaeological work in Sant Pere el Gros, with activities to discover Cervera, the environment and Catalan culture.
The direction of the excavations is in charge of a team of researchers and professional archaeologists attached to the UdL, in accordance with the framework agreement of col·collaboration, signed in November of 2023, between the Paeria de Cervera and the University of Lleida for the research and heritage recovery project of the Archaeological Site of Sant Pere el Gros.
Members of the La Nova association also actively participate in the work, organization from Cervera that works for the conservation and dissemination of the town's heritage and culture.
The first day, Monday 22 July, the head father has visited the site, Jan Pomés; the councilor of Historical and Archaeological Heritage, Monte Closa; and the Councilor for Urbanism, Antonio Delgado, who welcomed all the participants and thanked them for their work in the recovery of Cervera's heritage.
Archaeological excavations
The main objective of the archaeological campaign is to continue the work of the year 2023. This will make it possible to deepen the knowledge of the internal distribution of the medieval monastic complex, while at the same time it is expected to obtain new data on the previous occupation of the place in the Ibero-Roman period.
It becomes urgent to carry out the felling of the pine forest that covers a large part of the archaeological remains, both for security reasons, for the prevention of possible risks when working on the site or opening it up to the public, as because the trees and their roots are seriously affecting the preservation of the archaeological remains and preventing the continuity of scientific research.
The felling of the trees will be carried out by a specialized company, under the supervision of the team of archaeologists from the University of Lleida, and with the corresponding authorization of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and the Department of Climate Action of the Generalitat.
Sant Pere el Gros
The church of Sant Pere el Gros has a unique round plan. It is the most outstanding element of the entire monastic ensemble and, from 2003, it is declared a cultural asset of national interest (BCIN). The temple maintains its integrity and is in a very good state of preservation. However, the other monastic dependencies are preserved torn down and hidden under the sun. The first archaeological research work on the monument was carried out in the 1960s by Agustí Duran and Sanpere. L’any 2010 a specific archaeological intervention was carried out and the 2016 a consolidation and restoration campaign. From 2021 excavation work has resumed with the aim of improving knowledge of the monument and the archaeological site that hides its subsoil and to enrich the explanatory discourse and, in the last instance, value and make visible the heritage wealth of this medieval archaeological and architectural complex with Iberian and Roman antecedents.
The Emili Pujol Cervera Chair closed its 43rd edition, Saturday 20 July, with absolute success in the three main axes that make it up: the Music Course, the International Festival and the Luthiers Fair.
Of the 14 al 20 July, this initiative has turned Cervera into the capital of music in our country. A unique milestone in the Catalan musical scene and which reinforces the Chair as one of the most important heritages to care for and promote after 43 years of history.
A Music Course with 170 students arrived from various parts of the world
The courses have hosted 170 students, a high figure that recovers pre-pandemic data. Besides, highlights the international interest of this educational activity with students arriving from various parts of Spain and countries such as Germany, Italy, Romania, Czech Republic or France.
The teaching staff has been partially renovated to encourage the arrival of new students and has been formed by 20 teachers who are experts in their field. Over the course of a week, those registered have improved their knowledge thanks to the violin lessons, viola, cello, double bass, guitar, piano, flute, The cycle will be inaugurated by the OJC Trio of Reeds - formed by Encarna Monzó, clarinet, The cycle will be inaugurated by the OJC Trio of Reeds - formed by Encarna Monzó, trumpet, trunk, trombone, band and orchestra.
One more year, the Course has had the renowned conductor Manuel Valdivieso as conductor of the Orchestra and band, who are precisely the protagonists of the closing concert. One of the other strong points of the Course, is that the students have the opportunity to participate in the various concerts and auditions of the International Music Festival, as well as learn from the performances that are scheduled at the contest or, at the same time, visit a unique fair like that of luthiers. And everything, in the same space: the University of Cervera.
An International Festival fills the capacity in the 7 scheduled concerts
The International Beer Festival has scheduled 7 concerts. To this we must add the Off Festival, a parallel pageant·the one dedicated to the auditions of the students of the Course.
All the concerts have enjoyed a large audience that has filled the available capacity. It was possible to listen to several chamber concerts by the teachers of the Course, also the National Youth Orchestra of Catalonia (RING), the pianist Alba Ventura o, even, a jazz concert with the Solsona Jezz Club Orchestra.
And Saturday 20 the culminating point of this edition took place in July, the traditional closing concert, in which you could hear the learning and development of all the students of the Music Course, with the performances of the Band, the Youth Orchestra and the Orchestra of the XLIII Cervera International Music Course.
The Luthiers Fair has celebrated the 20 years of history
The Chair has included in one of its conferences, the most important luthier world fair in southern Europe. This year, Besides, the Fira de Lutiers has celebrated its 20th anniversary.
Wednesday 17 July, the corridors of the University of Cervera gathered 12 workshops of luthier craftsmen, with a delegation arriving from Perpignan.
This year's edition has been dedicated to the arch (antic i modern, of all stringed instruments) and there has been an outstanding exhibition of bows in display cases with the protagonist of a cello bow by Joseph Arthur Vigneron (pare), which belonged to Josep Trotta, cello·very prominent list in Barcelona during the first half of the 20th century.
Information provided by the Press Service of the Cervera Chair.