The first reference to Vespella is found in the notes in 1167, when Berat de Viver, who had been the first "Señor" of Vespella (Lord), and his wife, Ermessenda, gave the Vespella Castle and the rights on the population to Ponç Far and fis wife Brunissenda. From then on, some knights had the ownship of the Romance castle and the village. Some of the knights were Ramon de Montoliu, Pere de Queralt and Melcior Icart. The castle is situated in a hill at a height of 191 metres.
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There have been promoted several popular proposals so as the inhabitants can celebrate the Fiesta Mayor in the best conditions. The Fiesta Mayor is celebrated on the Day of Sant Miquel. The "Cabalgata de Reyes" (on the 5th.of January), and the "Carnaval" (in February), are very interesting. There is another popular feast, called the "Aplec de Sant Sebastià", who is the patron of the village. Thus, the calendar of feasts in Vespella follows these three special days: the "Aplec de Sant Sebastià" on the 20th.of January; the "Fiesta Mayor de Verano" (Summer feast), on the 6th.of August (San Salvador) (this day is also celebrated in memoriam of the fire that damaged the village in 1993, burnt 1000 of the 1824 hectareas that has the township, and killed six people) ; and the "Fiesta Mayor de Otoño", on the 29th.of September, Day of Sant Miquel. The association "Amics de Vespella de Gaià" has been very important in the restoration of these feasts, specially, in the year after the terrible fire that we have above mentioned. |
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Mas d'en Plana is a rural building made in the 18th.century. It was thought to be the
centre for the international art exchanges, after being restored and converted into the
"Fundació d'Art Contemporani".The Pedrera de Mas d'en Blanc is a project made
in order to protect the environment. It includes the recuperation of six ha. of land, that
were used as a stone quarry first, and as a rubbish dump later on, with the idea of
converting them in a place for making exhibitions, performances and shows.
The first phase for the intervention in la Pedrera, will consist on a process of controlled extraction. The Town Council gave the concession for this exploitation to the firm Camps i Roca S.L. Coming from Valencia, it offered an advanced project that will proportion a modern restoration of the Pedrera de Mas d'en Blanc. Actually, the Pedrera belongs to the Town Council. It recuperated it when Repsol S.A. submitted it to the village.
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On the 10th.of September, 1993, it was created the "Institut d'Estudis Vespellencs". Its aim was to publish the local monographs that made possible to know the wide history of the village. The first book that was published contained a large collection of images and pictures of the past and present of Vespella. The second book contained a set of "litografías whose title was "Racons de Vespella de Gaià". They had been done by the artist and commercial artist Jaume Torras in 1994. The IEV cooperates with the Vespella de Gaià News Culturals Magazine from 1994, and it helps to publish the "Ermessenda de Viver" books collection. One of its books is the one whose title is "Libre Blau de Vespella de Gaià", and whose authors are Joan Abelló and Rafael Bartolozzi. This book explains all the local activity, and the cultural and political" projects, from the points when Rafael Bartolozzi became the Mayor of Vespella. |
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