Seville's City Council has named a street next to the Gitanos Sanctuary after Sebastián Miguel de Varas y Miranda, founder of the Brotherhood and a key figure in the defence of the Romani people in the 18th century.
The City Council of Seville has dedicated a street to Sebastián Miguel de Varas y Miranda, founder of the Brotherhood of the Gitanos, in a ceremony held this Tuesday in the vicinity of the Sanctuary of the Brotherhood, in the San Román neighbourhood.
The delegate for Major Festivals, Manuel Alés, participated in the naming alongside the brotherhood's elder, Emilio Jiménez Núñez, the district delegate for Casco Antiguo, Amidea Navarro, and representatives from the Council of Brotherhoods and Cofradías.
During the event, Alés emphasised that the streets of Seville “are not merely a functional necessity,” but “a clear reflection of its history, of the values that have built it, and of the people who have made it what it is.” He described the naming as “an act of justice” to incorporate into the city's streets the name of the founder of the Brotherhood of the Gitanos.
“Sebastián Miguel de Varas y Miranda was the founder of the Brotherhood of the Gitanos and played a decisive role in saving so many Spanish Romani from the episode of the Great Roundup of the 18th century,” Alés noted.
The recognition coincides with the commemoration of the six centuries since the arrival of the Romani people in Spain, a milestone that the delegate deemed particularly significant as it occurs alongside the sanctuary of the brotherhood.
Alés highlighted the historical importance of Varas y Miranda for the city: “Thanks to his work, Seville became a sanctuary for the Romani people of our city, a fundamental part of its history, especially due to his commitment to education.”
The delegate also wanted to emphasise the current role of the Brotherhood of the Gitanos, beyond its religious and heritage dimensions.
“Today you are not only one of the corporations with the greatest devotional and heritage weight in our Holy Week. Above all, you are a living entity that carries out constant social action, that connects this neighbourhood and that maintains the spirit of mutual aid conceived by your founder,” he stated.
The new naming allows Varas y Miranda's name to “come out of your archives, so that Seville recognises him for what he was: a just Sevillian, ahead of his time, who neutralised hatred with generosity and education,” concluded Alés.
The street is located in the vicinity of the Sanctuary of the Brotherhood of the Gitanos, a landmark for the neighbourhood and for the Romani community of Seville.
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