Guia del museu faller de Cullera - Ingles (English)

7. THE “CREMÀ” - THE LOGO OF THE FALLAS MUSEUM OF CULLERA

8. MUSIC - FFMMV 2019 PAINTING

9. BADGES, “LLIBRETS”, COMBS AND DRESSINGS

10. SAMPLE OF PARDONED “NINOTS”

11. CULLERA LOCAL FALLA BOARD BANNER

12. AUDIO GUIDE

The town of Cullera is a key point in Fallera geography, being one of the municipalities with the most Fallera movement, both culturally and in participation in different events.

The Raval de Sant Agustí fault has produced this guide and audio guide on the occasion of its 50th anniversary, hoping that the Cullera fault museum can continue to offer the public a complete and dynamic experience.

Due to the large amount of tourism that the locality presents and the interest in the fallera festival, the museum was named as the second most visited fallera museum in the entire province. One of its strong points is the fusion of tradition and new technologies, this guide and

audio guide helps the museum to remain a pioneer and visited. This guide includes an explanation of every little detail that makes up the museum in order to provide a guiding thread for the visit. Accompanied by its corresponding audio guide translated into four languages to be listened to from particular mobile devices; helps the visitor to sink into the feeling and traditions that unite thousands of Valencians.

To be able to enjoy both the guide and the audio guide, the visitor just has to go to the place on the map where they are and read or press the corresponding number.

The building where the Cullera Fallas Museum is located is called “Casa de la Enseñanza”, or Teaching House, one of the oldest public schools in Spain, built in 1793 during the reign of Charles IV.

The main element of the Fallas festival is fire; in fact, the word ”falla” comes from the Latin “facula”, which means “torch”. All the festivities that have fire as the main feature can be related to solar rituals. Since ancient times, in many places in Europe, Asia and Africa, the arrival of the equinoxes and solstices (that is, the beginning of a new season) has been celebrated by lighting bonfires. These manifestations in some cases have been inherited from ancient

peoples and linked to solar ceremonies and purification rituals. The Catholic Church decided to absorb those rituals and dedicate them to saints; this way, the bonfires for the Summer solstice were related to Saint John, and those of the Spring equinox were dedicated to Saint Joseph.

One of the explanations for the origin of Fallas is linked to Saint Joseph and the carpenters guild. On the eve of their patron saint’s day, carpenters took the opportunity to clean their workshops and took to the street their useless remains of wood, which were piled up in an artistic way. Later on, every year the residents of each neighborhood also started to take out old junk that they

had around the house, creating dolls (or “ninots”) dressed in their old clothes. This tradition spread and grew bigger, eventually to become the satirical and burlesque features so common nowadays.

From this tradition a unique profession was born in Valencia, that of the “fallero” artist. A “fallero” artist models figures out of wood, cork or polyester, creating works of art thatcombine architecture, sculpture, painting and ingenuity.

At the Fallas Museum, you can see and better understand the different parts that make up the Fallas festivities, from the design and modeling of the monuments, to the traditional costumes, the “mascletàs” or fireworks, as well as listening to the

typical “albadas” or morning songs, and much more.

One of the oldest public schools in Spain, built in 1793 during the reign of Charles IV.

1. “NINOTS” ELABORATION PROCESS

One of these two “ninots” will give you the chance to see up close the different phases that the fallero artist carries out to make it, from building the wooden skeleton and modeling it with cork, up to the final brushstroke.

During this exhibition you can see how techniques and materials, as well as designs, have changed throughout the years and evolved towards more modern

and innovative styles.

The work of the “fallero” artist is becoming more prominent and important, so much so that they are requested to make stage settings, such as the photo stand-in located after the “ninots”, where you can take a souvenir photograph, adding your face to the characters in it.

2. MAP OF CULLERA’S FALLA SITES

This large map of town locates the different committees that make up Cullera’s Falla sites. The name of each committee refers to a street, square, neighborhood or area in town.

13 Museu faller de Cullera

The interactive screen will allow you to travel in time, reviewing the graphic history of Cullera’s winning monuments, both the main and children’s ones, since the beginning of the 20th century. You can also access the photographic record of the “ninots” that have been pardoned from the fire thoughout the town’s “falla” history. Take some time to delve into this history, together with each monument and “ninot”, and observe the evolution of the modeling and finishing of these works of art that have graced the town streets for the last few decades.

REDUCED SCALE MODEL

In front of the town map with all the committees locations, you can find a model donated by the Artisan Guild of Fallas Artists of Valencia, named “Bufes de pato” work by the artist Ramón Espinosa Aguilar, which was planted in 1992 in the Lluis Oliag Mariòla-Granada falla in Valencia.

A model is a reproduction of a monument made to scale in a reduced size to get an idea of what it will look like once planted in the street.

Falla Raval de Sant Agustí

4. ADVERTISING POSTERS

The posters hung in this area of the museum have announced the yearly Fallas festivities in our town.

What is a Fallas poster like and how is it chosen?

A Fallas poster is an artistic composition made using various techniques and whose purpose is to announce the Fallas festivities each year. The Local Fallas Board in Cullera is in charge of choosing the Fallas poster through a contest where participants are to follow the guidelines set by the organization. The first poster in our town dates from 1988.

On the way to the next point you can enjoy different “ninots indultats”, that is, individual sculptures that were saved from the flames as they were chosen winners of the pardoned “ninots” contest that takes place the weeks prior to the Fallas festivities.

Also, you can find a tribute in the pardoned “ninot” from Valencia 1996, named “Espantall”, made by the Cullera artist José Lafarga y Palomares.

5. COSTUMES

During the Fallas season and on some special days Valencians go out in the street wearing their elaborate regional costumes, considered the most expensive in the world due to therich pieces that make them up. This typical outfit was born in the 16th century as farmers clothing but with some elements copied from the royal court.

Among the variants of the Valencian female costume you can find the most French style costume, so-called 18th century style; the so-called lantern style started in the 19th century whose name comes from its lantern-shaped sleeves. The Valencian female costume is very complete; some of the elements that make it up are a petticoat, a skirt and overskirt, stockings, an apron, a shirt, a bodice or a doublet,

“mantellina” shawl and a chest scarf.

The “Saragüell” costume is a traditional male clothing that includes canvas shorts for work days, covered with a second pair of wool or silk shorts for holidays. On the other hand, the “Torrentí” outfit is characterized by tight-fitting pants and a vest. The head is covered by a scarf, and also by different kinds of hats.

Among all the Valencian women, the Fallera Mayor is the one who stands out, chosen to represent the Fallas festivities and be the Valencia queen for a whole year. In this case, Marina Civera Moreno, Fallera Mayor of Valencia in 2019 born in Cullera, has donated to this Fallas Museum the costume that she wore during the “mascletà” on March 8th of her reigning year.

On the screen in front of the costumes you can see the steps to do your hair and dress like a Valencian woman.

Museu faller de Cullera

6. PYROTECHNICS

Fireworks are one of the most characteristic elements of the Fallas festival. During the days of Fallas, both adults and children enjoy the sound of firecrackers and rockets, thus being the soundtrack that accompanies people in town during these important dates. These elements so typical of the Fallas festivities have their maximum representation in the “mascletàs” and castles, which are pyrotechnic shots with a rhythmic composition and a festive motif. In this case, in the city of Valencia you can experience the “mascletás” at noon during early March, one of their biggest tourist attractions.

Falla Raval de Sant Agustí

19 Museu faller de Cullera

7. THE “CREMÀ”

On March 19, all the Fallas sculptures, which have been built throughout the year, are set on fire for the “cremà”, or burning. All of them, except the pardoned “ninot”, the one that won the contest, like the ones you saw before and like the one next to the “mascletà”. They were saved from the flames and are exhibited in museums in many towns.

THE LOGO OF THE FALLAS MUSEUM OF CULLERA

The “ninot” you see in the shape of a Falla mermaid has been the inspiration for the logo of this museum. Its creator is artist Erik Martínez and he planted this “ninot” in the Falla at Plaça Alboraia in 2014.

CREACIÓ DEL LOGOTIP

El ninot que podeu veure amb forma de sirena fallera ha estat la font d’inspiració per al logotip d’aquest museu. El seu artista és Erik Martínez i va plantar aquest ninot a la falla Plaça Albo

8. MUSIC

Another essential element of these festivities is music. There are many events in which music is present: the “crida” or calling to the festivities, the “cercaviles” or parades, the falleras presentations and proclamations, the flower offering and even the “cremà” or burning of the fallas monuments. The musical compositions are very varied so they can adapt to each event; there are pieces composed for full orchestra, “tabal” drums and “dulzaina” flute, brass band or music band. Of the latter, the town of Cullera is proud to be home to two very important ones, the Santa Cecilia Musical Society and the Musical Athenaeum.

PAINTING OF FFMMV 2019

The painting hanging in this part of the museum is an oil on canvas painted by Emilio Frejo representing Cullera native Marina Civera next to Sara Larrazábal, Falleras Mayores in Valencia 2019.

COMBS AND DRESSINGS

BADGES

The Fallas Museum has a sample of all the badges that belong to the different Fallas committees in town, together with the Fallera Mayor sash and Court of Honor sash, courtesy of Paqui Lledó.

“LLIBRETS”

9. BADGES,

Next you can see a collection of falla “llibrets”, or Falla booklets, courtesy of Antonio Sala. Special mention to the first “llibret” published in Cullera, dated 1928. The “llibret”, which is becoming increasingly important in the Fallas culture, is a compilation of the activities carried out during the year, as well as sketches of the monuments for the current year.

COMBS AND DRESSINGS

At this point you can see combs and dressings courtesy of Mariló Palau. It was in the 18th century when their use began, when women replaced scarves and shawls, like the one donated by Quique Sapiña and Mariam Aragó, to better show their hairstyles including bun pins and brass or silver haircombs. Other common accessories are earrings, a neck pendant and a brooch.

“LLIBRETS”,

SAMPLE OF PARDONED “NINOTS”

The “ninots” refered to during the visit, as well as those in the last part of the museum, are part of the archive of pardoned “ninots” from the Cullera fallas. It should be noted that in Cullera pardoning “ninots” was a spontaneous act until it became official in 1973. That year a “ninot” belonging to a large monument was pardoned for the first time, and it was not

until a few years later, in 1984, when “ninots” belonging to children’s monuments started to be pardoned too. 10.

Museu faller de Cullera

The local Fallas are headed by the Cullera Local Falla Board, which serves as a link with the rest of the Community’s Fallas, and is the organizer and sponsor of various activities, events and contests that take place in the world of Fallas. On September 12th, 2008, the Cullera Fallas festival was declared a Festival of Local Tourist Interest in the Valencian Community by the Generalitat’s Ministry of Tourism.

The Cullera Fallas Museum wishes that this visit has brought you closer to the feeling that unites thousands of Valencians, because after the fire, dreams start again. Many may think that we Valencians are crazy people who burn great works of art, but for us it really symbolizes an end to all the past, and a welcome to the excitement of a new Fallas year.

FALLA RAVAL DE SANT AGUSTÍ

Edit: Falla Raval de Sant Agustí

With the collaboration of the Cullera City Council

Coordination and writing: delegation of promotion and use of valencian and delegation of tourist interest

In cooperation with:

Museu faller de Cullera