By Benjamín Reyes. / Valle de Guerra once again hosted the sacramental car of the Librea this Saturday with a large influx of public. Ten minutes before the start of the performance, the shout of joy was heard from all the participants before going on stage and immersing the audience, for almost two hours, in the 16th century and taking them back to the battle of Lepanto.
Juan Jesús Pérez Adrián, responsible for this year’s greeting, stressed “that this act enhances Valle de Guerra and is possible thanks to more than 100 interpreters.” About 2,500 people (among whom was a representative of the Barlovento Moors and Christians festival and several Italian tourists) gathered in the square adjacent to the Vallera church and at the end of the performance they responded with long applause for the effort made. carried out by the 250 people who make it a reality and shouting: “Long live the Virgin of El Rosario! Long live Valle de Guerra! Long live the Librea!” The excitement was palpable in the atmosphere.
Filled with the 1,430 chairs arranged by the organization, the surroundings of the square were packed with another 1,000 people who watched the show standing. The audience was of all ages. Speaking of ages, among the interpreters the youngest was only 4 months old (one of the children kidnapped by the Ottomans) and the oldest was Pepe Damas, who at 68 years old, got into the shoes of Cardinal Granvela. For both of them it was his first participation in the Livery.
The Livery commemorates the famous battle of Lepanto in 1571, where Canarian soldiers led by the Palma captain Francisco Díaz Pimienta participated, as demonstrated by documents housed in the church of El Salvador de Santa Cruz de La Palma. The mayor of La Laguna, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, was also present at the event; Dailos González, Councilor for Culture of the City Council, or Bernardo Álvarez, Bishop of Tenerife.
The Livery has evolved over time, but always preserves tradition. It should be remembered that the oldest documentation preserved about the Livery dates back to 1803. Juan Cairós is the author of the text with modifications from the Association of Friends of the Livery. All under the supervision of stage director Nacho Almenar.
The mourners acted as narrators, introducing the spectators to the events prior to the historic conflagration. A lady dressed in white found her aesthetic counterpoint in the black clothing of the mourners. She drew attention to the use of the back of the church as a new stage space, the incorporation of the martyrdom scene of Marcantonio Bragadin or the throwing of gold coins to the public (which hid a gift in the form of chocolate).
La Librea was accompanied by the live intervention of the Nuestra Señora de Lourdes band, which was conducted by Isaac González, which reached its musical zenith in the confrontation between the ships of La Real and La Sultana, led by Juan de Austria and Ali Pasha.
Of the performers who got into the skin of the various characters, Vanessa Rodríguez Cairós deserves special attention, who played a Christian lady. It is the second time that a person with reduced mobility participated in the Vallera livery. Rodríguez Cairós is also the creator of this year’s poster, as well as the promotion.
La Librea has obtained numerous recognitions, such as being an Asset of Cultural Interest (2007).
