The King, Princesses Leonor and Sofia completed their agenda in Asturias this Saturday, visiting three dioceses, Aros, Pion and Kandanalthe council of Villaviciosa that this year won the Principality’s Model Town Award.
Districts, located in About 45 kilometers from OviedoA day after the Princess of Asturias Award was presented at the Campoamor Theater in Oviedo, people of a thousand people decorated their houses and streets to welcome the royal family to the award-winning city Traditional tour.
“We welcome you with our usual warm welcome” On a cool morning with clear skies, the sound of a bagpipe band read one of the signs prepared by neighbors to welcome guests.
This year the king and their daughters took part in the visit again, following last year’s visit in which Leonor de Borbón had to interrupt his walk through Cadavedo due to gastroenteritis , her sister was also affected by gastroenteritis, which prevented her from even traveling from Oviedo.
They were accompanied by the President of the Principality, Adrien Barbón, the Acting Minister of Agriculture, Luis Planas, and the Mayor of Villaviciosa, Alejandro Vega, who presented the monarch with the Municipal Rod.
Vega is “extremely proud” that his council has been awarded the Model Town Award for the third time, this time by three of its core agencies. “This is a land with a history of struggle and progress that knows how to overcome the difficulties of rural areas””, the mayor emphasized.
In the cases of Arroes, Pion and Candanal, the jury found that they had succeeded in consolidating a diversified economy based on local resources, which had led to a revitalized population, which has increased by 11% since the pandemic.
The walking route through the first district includes stops at different locations, such as the village school, the church of Santa Maria or the orchard, where they will explain the process of making and producing cider in a cider press.
The royal visit coincides with the annual celebrations on October 21 International Apple Day, one of the economic drivers for three dioceses In addition to livestock farming and logging activities, Villaviciosa is also one of the councils with the largest forest area.
In addition to visits to some typical Asturian barns and farmhouses, performances by folkloric groups are also planned “xiringüelu”, a typical dance of the principality.
After the award of role models and speeches by King Felipe VI and Princess Leonor, the itinerary continues to Pion and Candanal, where they will visit the Information and Communications Technology Center – RuralTech, which aims to Innovate and initiate rural development initiatives.
The royal family will visit a livestock farm to watch the bull “Galo” graze, a 1,200-kilogram Asturian valley stallion that has won several awards for its size. As is customary, the visit will end with a lunch between the royal family and their neighbors, where they will sample local products.
Among those attending the reception was football coach Marcelino García Toral, Villaviciosa’s “favorite son”.
The Princess of Asturias Foundation donated 25,000 euros to award the title of Model Town, which dates back to 1990 and this year marks the 34th edition.