Triana is currently celebrating its traditional Velá de Santa Ana, considered the oldest festival in the city of Seville. The devotion to the saint and the strong identity of the neighbourhood have ensured its uninterrupted existence since the 13th century.
The Triana neighbourhood is adorned for one of its most significant events of the year: the Velá de Santa Ana, which kicks off these days with a programme of activities that combines religious worship, popular traditions, and musical performances. This celebration, which dates back to the 13th century, is regarded as the oldest in the city of Seville and has managed to remain true to its origins over the centuries.
The origin of the devotion to Santa Ana in Triana is linked to a promise made by King Alfonso X the Wise. As Isidro González, a collaborator with the diocesan communication and Brotherhoods and confraternities, recounts, the monarch suffered from an eye ailment and promised to erect a temple in honour of Santa Ana, the mother of the Virgin Mary, if he were healed. Once the promise was fulfilled, the Royal Parish of Santa Ana was built, a temple in Gothic-Mudéjar style that is now one of the most important in the archdiocese due to its heritage and the uninterrupted devotion it houses.
In the past, popular vigils around the festivities of patron saints were common in many neighbourhoods of Seville. However, most have disappeared over time, such as those of San Pedro or El Salvador. Triana's celebration, on the other hand, has survived and has established itself as a unique event in the city. González describes it as "the oldest festival in the city of Seville."
The survival of the Velá can be explained by the strong devotion to Santa Ana and, above all, by the distinct personality of Triana. The neighbourhood "has always had a very marked character within the city of Seville," notes González, recalling that historically it has had its own municipal representatives, popularly known as "the mayor of Triana." This strong sense of identity has led the people of Triana to always strive to maintain the essence of their neighbourhood, ensuring the uninterrupted celebration of the festival.
Unlike the April Fair, which originated in the 19th century with a livestock character, the Velá de Santa Ana has always been a popular extension of religious worship. Although it has evolved, "it has not strayed too far from its dates or its motivation," González asserts. The celebration maintains its epicentre in Betis street, Altozano, and Pureza street, where popular festivities blend with musical performances.
Among its most emblematic traditions is the greased pole in the river, an activity that González describes as "a relic of past times, a festive fossil that deserves to be preserved." This game, along with singing, strolling, and the classic green hazelnuts, was a way to cope with the summer heat before the arrival of air conditioning.
The essence of the festival remains intact, something that is reflected each year in the poster, which continues to showcase the essential elements of the Velá: Triana ceramics, the Triana bridge, the river, and the parish. For the residents of Triana and all of Seville, the Velá de Santa Ana is not just a festival, but a link to their history and a hallmark of identity that resists fading away.
This year's programme includes religious events, concerts, and activities for all audiences. Attendees will be able to enjoy the traditional procession of the image of Santa Ana through the streets of the neighbourhood, as well as musical performances on the stages set up on Betis street and Altozano. The greased pole, one of the most anticipated moments, will take place on the central day of the vigil.
The Velá de Santa Ana is, in González's words, "a relic of past times" that deserves to be preserved. And judging by the appearance of the streets of Triana these days, it seems that it will continue for many more centuries.
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