The city of Tortosa has launched the 29th Renaissance Festival, a celebration that will run until July 19 and transforms the old town into a 16th-century stage. This festival, declared of National Tourist Interest, attracts tens of thousands of visitors with a program that combines arts, historical rigor, heritage, gastronomy, and technological innovation.
Illustrator Ignasi Blanch delivered the inaugural speech, focusing on Renaissance arts in 16th-century Tortosa. Blanch highlighted Tortosa's ability to reinvent itself year after year, maintaining the Renaissance spirit based on observation, reason, and critical thinking. He also remembered Tortosa's artists and writers who have shaped the city's history.
The mayor and chief procurator of the festival, Mar Lleixà, emphasized Tortosa's cultural splendor during the Renaissance, highlighting its architecture, music, and literature. She thanked the involvement of the neighborhood and associative fabric and announced the opening of new restored monumental spaces, such as the walkways of the Suda Castle and underground galleries, as part of a regeneration plan for the historic city.
The Festival's procurator, Jordi Jordan, highlighted the complete renewal of the program, with over 500 performances, thirty novelties, and the participation of international groups from Italy, Portugal, France, and Estonia. He also emphasized gastronomy, with the Market Square as the stage for the Renaissance Gastronomy, featuring live cooking and the participation of local chefs and guest of honor, Ada Parellada.
Technological innovation also plays a significant role, with a spectacular videomapping show at the Suda Castle and the Reials Col·legis. Additionally, 'Interactive Renaissance' premieres at the Renaissance Interpretation Center, an audiovisual installation that allows visitors to take digital Renaissance photographs home.
