“The strength of Vicente Traver Calzada’s talent; the strength of courage of the Penyagolosa Trails; the strength of determination of the Provincial Hospital Foundation; the strength of the improvement of the Chair of Physical Activity and Oncology; the strength of the art of the Valltorta Museum. Five stories, five names, five legacies, five reasons to be proud to be Castellón. This is how Marta Barrachina, president of the Provincial Delegation of Castellón, addressed those who were honored in the Provincial festival which, for the first time, was celebrated in an itinerant way, in Tírig, and returned to the origins of the emblem of these awards, the Arquer de la Valltorta.
Generality Square Tirig was the setting that hosted the event in which “we came together to remind our predecessors that their efforts were not in vain, and to teach this to those who come after us, from the roads to the beaches, from the mountains to the cities “, from the heart of each Castellón to the heart of our land, we find endless reasons to speak of Castellón and our inhabitants with pride and passion”, declared the president of the Provincial Deputation.
During her speech, the highest representative of the provincial institution took a trip to the past “to observe the present and know where we are going.” And on this trip, the first stop made was the Valltorta ravinewhere lived “our ancestors, men and women who found their home on these lands”. “They had no written words to tell their stories, but they had a universal language that resonated strongly: art.” And it is there, in this space located in Tírig, where the figure of the Arquer de la Valltorta was born and which, as Marta Barrachina defined it, “is a fragment of life captured in time, it is a story of talent, of courage.” , determination, strength and art. And these same adjectives are those that the president of the Provincial Delegation of Castellón addressed to each of the winners.
Talent has its own name, Vicente Traver Calzadawho was distinguished by High Distinction and the Gold Medal. An award with which the provincial institution recognizes the immensity of the legacy of the painter, an artist who, through his canvases, managed to capture the essence of our land. The artist from Burriana dedicated ten years of his life to the murals that ennoble the hall of the Provincial Palace and which, through his brushstrokes, tell the history of our province. With themes based on decisive moments in the history, customs and traditions of Castellón, the most representative monuments, legends and future projects, these murals have become a point of reference in the most complete visual panorama of the province of Castellón.
And from talent to courage, “like that of an adventurer who travels our paths and our roads until reaching our Gigant de Pedra”. This is how the President of the Provincial Government referred to Penyagolosa Trails, which was awarded the Sports Merit. The Marató i Mitja Castelló-Penyagolosa (MiM) completed its twenty-fifth edition and, throughout its history, it has become a national and international reference, leaving an indelible mark on the provincial sporting community.
And from this courage to determination, “like that of someone who works tirelessly every day to search for the cure”. Characterized by his professionalism, his collective talent, pursuit of excellenceeffort to advance research and assistance to ensure a better future for its patients, the Provincial Hospital Foundation received the Merit of Solidarity. “Over the years, it has become an inextinguishable beacon, a solid pillar and a refuge for an entire province that found hope and the future in its Foundation,” said Marta Barrachina.
And with hope and the future, there is strength, “like that of someone who overcomes the greatest of illnesses.” For his excellent work in promoting and leading research, training and dissemination of knowledge activities related to the benefits of physical activity in cancer patients, the Chair of physical activity and oncology received the Innovation Merit, “a recognition that highlights not only his contribution to oncology, but also his ability to illuminate a future in which medicine and sport not only heal the body, but touch and transform also the mind.
And as if all these stories had been intertwined in the same tapestry of effort and perseverance, we arrived in Valltorta and, “in this sacred corner, the Valltorta Museum presents itself as the guardian of the artistic memory of the province ” he said. the provincial president. In recognition of its valuable work, which makes us know where we come from, the Valltorta Museum received the Merit of Arts.
In addition to these five distinctions, the Provincial Delegation of Castellón awarded bronze medals for the first time on the occasion of the Provincial Festival, recognizing with this distinction the Union of Mutuas on the occasion of its twentieth anniversary, and there Mare de Déu del Lledó for the centenary of his coronation.
To all the winners, the president of the Provincial Deputation addressed himself saying that, “like the Arquer de la Valltorta who shot his arrow towards infinity, each of you has left an indelible mark in the history, you have forged a legacy of courage, creativity and hope that inspires us all.
For his part, Vicente Traver Calzada, in his own name and on behalf of all the winners, indicated that what unites all the winners “is the desire to contribute something to the coexistence and well-being of our community and c It’s in the name of the shared effort to achieve this.
In reference to art, Traver Calzada expressed that “the artist aspires to total creative freedom and intends for his work to be at the same time useful, personal… and universal. In the latter, I take advantage of the words of Leo Tolstoy who tells us “if you want to be universal, cultivate your garden”. “My garden, pictorially speaking, I place it in our province.”
To this province that he represented in the murals that house the hall of the Provincial Palace, the artist declared that “it took me ten years to complete the commission and I could have continued as much because, at As the work progressed, the enormous beauty was revealed to me.” of our country, the richness of its landscapesits people and its traditions, the charm of its myths and legends, the human category of its people, etc. » “In the collective portrait of 64 representative characters of the province I wanted to give a global vision of its fabulous human potential and I tried to unite the emblematic people and places on a timeless background. There too, I failed because of the lack of space”, he added. The Haute Distinction 2024 stressed that this prize “I will consider it as a stimulus and also a challenge for what I can do from now on “.
The president of the Provincial Delegation of Castellón also addressed the province as a whole, to all its citizens, “all with common goals: understanding each other, cooperating and bridging gaps to be able to move forward.” And it’s all them, to 135 municipalities and more than 600,000 hearts“, for whom this government team works hard every day. From the capital to the smallest city. From those who can benefit from the accumulated experience to those who light up our smile with their first cry. And we will continue to work for everyone, carrying honesty, a vocation for public service and provincial pride as a flag.
The highest representative of the provincial institution added that “today, more than ever, we feel in our veins the commitment to be worthy guardians of this heritage.” “Because Castellón is not just a land, it is a feeling that does not lower its head, that rises again and again, that looks to the future without ever forgetting its history.”
