Fallas In Valencia: Convento Jerusalén Takes First Prize

Convento Jerusalén makes history by winning the Special Falla with a display dedicated to climate change. Bringing their total haul of first prizes to 17. Eugene Costello reports…

Convento Jerusalén has done it again. The Fallas club – casal – La Roqueta triumphed with Pilar in second place and Cuba-Literato Azorin coming in third. This means that Convento Jerusalén took gold in the Special Falla contest. With crowds in the neighbourhood singing “We are the champions”.

It is a sign of how seriously the neighbourhood rivalry behind Fallas is, albeit a good-natured one.

The display was the creation of Pere Baenas and is titled 2030.

Fallera Mayor Cristina Madrero Soria from Convento Jerusalén told Levante that she felt “super-excited” after winning the award.

“It was something incredible when we heard the verdict: it is a dream come true,” said Madrero.

The highest-ranking fallera of the La Roqueta casal congratulated Baenas, saying: “I know that he worked hard on this display and it was really deserved. This first prize is for everyone who helped make this falla possible,” she added.

Convento Jerusalén – Gold Fallas Winner

Madrero says that the response to the announcement of first prize was the cry of “Convento, Convento!”, “open bar tonight!” and “champions, champions!” Cava was flowing, which the members of the casal also used to spray each other – alongside members of the press.

“Our falla represents the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the UN,” explains Cristina Madrero. “Which They intend to achieve them in 2030. Hence, the title of the falla: each part is one of those SDGs.

‘A very special joy’

“We wanted,” she emphasises, “to make the whole world aware of the problem we are having with the environment.”

For his part, the president of the Convento Jerusalen casal, Paco Segura, says that this year he felt “a very special joy”.

“Being on the top of the podium is not always achievable,” says Segura, “but at Convento our mission is to try to compete to achieve it.”

“Convento has one of its main missions in obtaining the first two first prizes Special Falla,” he adds.

“On Tuesday, in the category for children, we could not achieve it but for our main major falla, we achieved it and we are very happy, – thank God we have achieved it again.

Convento Jerusalén’s personal message

“I have spoken with Pere Baenas,” added Segura, “and I thanked him for the soul that he puts into all the fallas he makes, for his personal effort, for the illusion, for the heart and also for the desire he puts into it,” he said, adding that all that dedication of the Fallas artist and his team “is reflected in the square.”

Segura also dedicated the victory “to my commission (casal) and to the almost 130 years of history that we have completed. I dedicate it to the falleros who are, to those who are not and to those who will be”.

Finally, asked regarding his wishes for the remaining days of festivities, Segura would like it “not to rain, to pass without incident and that this much-desired normality is for life and that all the falleros and falleras will have a great time.”

For more news in the Valencian take a look HERE.