The role of children in the traditional religious house-blessing rite of Salpassa in north-eastern Spain

Salpassa denotes the blessing of houses, land, and other belongings, carried out during Easter week and Resurrection (Easter) Sunday in the Valencia–Catalonia linguistic region of north-eastern Spain. Although it is now remembered mostly as a consecrating ceremony or a religious rite, recent field research has shown that a playful element, carried out by children through their songs and other activities, was also an important aspect of the traditional Salpassa.

Restoration of religious temples: intervention in the church “Nuestra Señora de Belén” in Crevillente (Alicante)

Heritage conservation has raised historical problems usually centered in defects resulting from water leaks. Thus, any intervention is presented as a difficult task, both due to building techniques to be used and the lack of economic resources in many cases. In relation to the temples existing in Alicante (Spain), water drainage is solved with pitched roofs on slope formation (in vaulted naves) or directly supported on the vaulted elements (in the domes). Since those construction systems are composed by brick and plaster, the presence of moisture is problematic, and represents a risk of losing the strength capacity and therefore the stability of the dome. An example of this problem is the dome of the church “Nuestra Señora de Belén” in Crevillente, built with solid bricks, it has the highest diameter of the province (18th century). This historic building has been restored on several occasions in the recent years due to moisture, cracks or fissures. The study of these works give an idea of the difficulties of maintenance, conservation and proper restoration of such kind of buildings as unique and valued constructions in our heritage.

Los espacios para el ocio de la oligarquía alicantina en el siglo XIX

El objetivo de este trabajo es el análisis de los espacios públicos donde la oligarquía alicantina interactúa en su tiempo libre. A este respecto, encontramos referencias donde se describen los paseos por las alamedas de la ciudad, las tertulias en los cafés y la asistencia tanto a los teatros como a los toros; junto a la concurrencia a los baños públicos y a las celebraciones religiosas y profanas. Por último, destaca una actividad: los desplazamientos fuera del domicilio habitual. Estos tienen una motivación extraeconómica que obedece a la búsqueda de unas condiciones climáticas favorables y de relación social en las diferentes villas de la huerta alicantina. Ello sugiere que la vida social de la capital se traslada a la mencionada huerta donde se organizarían tertulias, recepciones, fiestas así como algún espectáculo musical y teatral.