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Roquetes and Saint Marcel sur Aude Consolidate Twinning with Cultural Exchange

A delegation from Roquetes visited the Occitan town, strengthening ties through music, culture, and gastronomy.

Generic image of a municipal building with traditional Catalan architecture.
IA

Generic image of a municipal building with traditional Catalan architecture.

Roquetes has consolidated its twinning with Saint Marcel sur Aude (France) during the first cultural exchange, featuring local entities showcasing their traditions.

The Roquetense Music Band (Lira Roquetense), the Gegants Isabel i Gregori, the Grallers de Roquetes, and the Patronat de Festes presented a sample of Roquetes' culture and festivities in the Occitan town, reinforcing the bonds between the two communities. This visit, involving around a hundred people, was characterized by warmth and friendship.
The Mayor of Roquetes, Ivan Garcia, accompanied by members of the municipal corporation, led the delegation. During the meeting, Garcia emphasized the importance of "caring for and preserving" the relationship, noting it was the first time the Gegants Isabel i Gregori had traveled outside Catalonia. The mayor announced that next year, Saint Marcel will visit Roquetes to share its traditions, with future exchanges planned in education, sports, and leisure.
Saturday was filled with cultural and festive activities. The Gegants Isabel i Gregori paraded through the streets of Saint Marcel sur Aude, accompanied by the City Flags and those of the Patronat de Festes, with the Pubilla, Pubilleta, and Hereuet Major dressed in traditional attire. Subsequently, the Lira Roquetense performed a concert of popular music, concluding with the anthem 'Roquetes, Ciutat Estimada'. The evening ended with a communal pasta dinner.
Sunday was dedicated to commemorating the Republican ex-mayor of Roquetes, Joan Castells, known as 'l’Àguedo', who was exiled in France and died in 1944. In front of the memorial plaque at the cemetery of Narbonne, a floral tribute was laid, and the 'Cant dels Ocells' was performed by an ensemble from the Lira Roquetense. Sisco Ollé, Councilor for Education, Democratic Memory, Culture, and Festivals of Roquetes, highlighted the duty to conduct such recognitions as a tribute to Castells and all exiles.
The Grallers de Roquetes provided music for a procession through the center of Narbonne, which concluded at the Central Market. Alongside cultural events, a meeting for the Comenius-Erasmus educational program took place. Magda Bel, director of the Escola Raval de Cristo, Eva Balsells, head of studies at the Escola Mestre Marcel·lí Domingo, and Joëlle Rodríguez, head of the French language department at the Institut Roquetes, explored collaboration opportunities with Sandrine Sirvernt, a representative from the Occitanie Region's Department of Education, for future joint educational projects.

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