Ermita de la Verge del Carme

The hermitage of the Virgen del Carme was built in 1948 by my mother’s family. It belonged to my grandmother, Tomasa Viciano Breva, who later passed it to my mother Carmen Paget Masí. And from that time 5 generations have passed on: there were my grandmother, my mother, my dear sister Carmen, my niece and now my granddaughter who is just 2 years old. And here we used to have a feast on the day of the Virgen del Carmen, July 16, because we had a cottage near here where we spent many summers when we were little. And also there were some “paradetas” (Spanish dance) with “torrats”. Here was coming señor Pipa, a soapy stick was placed and there was a hen on the top of it and then the people, especially the men, tried to climb but as the stick was soapy they slipped. At the end there was one who always took the hen and carried it away, alive, of course. There were very nice festivities. 

After that, in 2002, my mother gave the hermitage to the city council for religious worship of the Virgen del Carmen; she did not want it to be used for anything else. And the city council had to respect this decision. 

And later there have been fiestas. Now we are in 2020, but buses full of old people were coming here, and they were bringing horchata and fartons. People were attending a mass, then a procession was proceeding all around the rotunda, and honestly, it was very special for us. So, this is the most significant thing, and what I would like is that this continues as a family tradition.