Quartell, near Sagunto, marks its biggest festival week with bull runs and music
The town of Quartell, in the Camp de Morvedre district near Sagunto, is celebrating its biggest festival week until next weekend, with street bull runs, correfocs (fire runs), open-air dances and religious ceremonies honouring its patron saints.
Quartell, a town of just 1,810 residents covering 3.26 square kilometres in the Camp de Morvedre district, kicked off its biggest festival week after a communal dinner that brought together much of the town. This year's 'festers' — twelve 24-year-olds who organise the celebrations — have coordinated a programme mixing street bull runs, correfocs (fire-run parades) and open-air dances with two religious days: on the first Sunday, a procession honouring the Àngel Custodi and the revival of the traditional 'albades' dawn serenades; on the second, the feast of Santa Anna, patron saint alongside Saints Abdón and Senén. Friday's pine-tree planting ceremony and correfoc open the calendar, followed by Saturday's brass band and bull runs from cattle breeders such as Margalhos and Renacimiento. Tuesday, the Penya Taurina's big day, and Thursday, with the Penya El Picadero, hold the main bull events. The most-awaited day remains that of the 'Quintos' — residents born in the same year — and the water festival known as the Xopà. 'Quartell is a street party, friends and gatherings,' says festivities councillor Pepe Sebastián. According to elperiodicodeaqui.com, with additional background from Wikipedia on the municipality.