The declaration concludes a process initiated by Teruel City Council and the Interpeñas Cultural Association. On March 2, the Municipal Corporation unanimously approved the start of the procedures to obtain this recognition. The application was subsequently sent to the Government of Aragon, which issued a favorable report before forwarding it to the Ministry.
With this addition, the Fiestas del Ángel become the thirteenth National Festival of Tourist Interest in Aragon and the 167th in Spain. One of the elements that carried particular weight in the declaration was public participation. The peñas, which emerged in the 1940s, organize much of the festive activity and help give La Vaquilla its communal character.
Today, this involvement is largely channeled through the Interpeñas Cultural Association and the 22 Vaquilla Peñas, which fund and organize a significant part of the free program open to the public.
Teruel Mayor Emma Buj specifically highlighted the role of the people of Teruel in securing this recognition. “Without the involvement of the people of Teruel, La Vaquilla would not be what it is,” she said, describing the declaration as “a milestone and a goal achieved.”
GREATER VISIBILITY FOR ONE OF TERUEL’S MAJOR FESTIVALS
Secretary of State for Tourism Rosario Sánchez stressed that the distinction represents “recognition of the uniqueness and history of a celebration deeply linked to Teruel and its cultural and festive heritage” and will help strengthen the profile of a festival with its own identity and a long history.
La Vaquilla also has a significant tourism and economic impact on Teruel and its province, especially during the central days of the festivities, when thousands of people take part in a program closely linked to the city’s streets and squares.
The uniqueness of the Fiestas del Ángel also lies in the combination of popular celebrations with a series of rituals and traditions of great historical and cultural value. These include the Salve and the Mass of the Guardian Angel, the Campanico bell ringing, the Donning of the Scarf, the Bull on a Rope and the Baga, as well as the Seisado of Santa Emerenciana, a medieval institution dating from the 15th century and unique of its kind.
This heritage is complemented by the “Lovers of Teruel” International Poetry Competition, considered the oldest in Spain in its category, with 64 uninterrupted editions and international participation.
THE NEXT GOAL: INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION
The new national distinction will not, however, be the final objective. Teruel City Council has already announced that it will continue working with Interpeñas and the people of Teruel so that La Vaquilla del Ángel can also receive the designation of International Festival of Tourist Interest.
The distinction now granted by the Ministry therefore provides fresh momentum for a celebration that has been part of Teruel’s identity for centuries and whose main hallmarks are its traditions, its peñas, and the participation of its residents.
