The town of La Orotava recovers this Thursday June 23, 2022 all the splendor of the day of the corpus rugs. Three years later, after the stoppage forced by the Covid-19 pandemic, the historic center is once again filled with flowers and heather to embellish the route of the procession of the Blessed Sacramentwhich on Thursday evening will pass over the spectacular tapestry of lands of Teide and ashes from the La Palma volcano made in the town hall square.
The most distinguished tradition of La Orotava celebrates its 175th anniversary in 2022. It all started in 1847, when Eleanor Monteverde, with the help of María Teresa and Pilar Monteverde, made that first rug. A design that this year has been recreated in an exhibition prepared by students from various schools in the northern town, which will remain in the Victory Garden until next July 4.
The members of Artearena, under the direction of Domingo Gonzalez Exposito, gave on the afternoon of this Wednesday 22 the last touches to the great carpet of the Plaza del Ayuntamiento. «The carpet of desires, feelings and illusion. Religious, but also social and human nature», according to González Expósito. Among his messages: the desire for the end of the invasion and war in Ukraine, the defense of the planet, the unity of the canaries with La Palma, the memory of San Isidro on the 400th anniversary of his canonizationand the 175th anniversary of the flower carpets.
To the volcanic ash of La Palma they join this year two arches of mallet, between 5 and 6 meters high, located on both sides of the lower entrance to the square, from where they will receive the Corpus. The central tapestry represents Jesus in a daily scene, accompanied by his disciples while they talk and eat; along with tributes to San Isidro, the Holy Trinity and Ukraine. The two lateral tapestries intend to denounce “the mistreatment of the environment on the planet”, with references to floods and droughts, with parched soils and snowy mountains. “It is an invitation to reflect on the legacy we are leaving our children. However, the young people who appear in the tapestries have happy faces, typical of youth and innocence; but they are also eyes that invite us to believe in their ability to face problems and correct mistakes”, details the director of the tapestry.
The borders represent “the Carpet of Illusion, the illusion of recovering the festivities, represented by the openwork on which seven-meter-diameter flowers rest. And by the red border for the magician’s vest and the carnations and the spikes of the magician’s wands».
Among other details, two small tapestries within two circles: a baby penguin trapped in the remains of fishing nets and a turtle swimming among the remains of spills of all kinds. These two tapestries aim to delve into the problem of climate change and, in addition, they will serve as a link with the next two carpets.
Presentation of the harvest
Almost 6,000 people participate this Wednesday in the Presentation of the La Orotava Valley Wine Harvest and several thousand people will come to the town hall throughout the day to see the carpet made with the 20 natural colors from the lands of Teide. The party continues this Thursday, from seven in the morning, with the ringing of bells and the mass of the carpet makers, who from eight o’clock will begin to make their carpets, corridos and zaragatas with petals, flowers and heather in the streets. At 6:30 p.m. the solemn Eucharist begins and, at its conclusion, the Blessed Sacrament will leave in procession on the carpeted route. In the Plaza del Consistorio, the solemn blessing will take place from the central balcony of the Town Hall. The Day of the Carpets will conclude with the procession back to the Parish of Our Lady of the Conception.
