The queen of the 2026 festivities, Martina Caparrós Mezquita, along with the ladies Beatriz Alcaide Ahís, Marta Curic Vega, Betlem Zafrilla Piñero, and Diana Zafrilla Piñero, led the procession dressed in traditional attire. The departure took place from the square of the Church of the Nativity of Our Lady around 09:00 AM.
Alongside them participated the mayor of Almassora, María Tormo; the counselor of Social Services, Family and Childhood, Elena Albalat; the rector of the Nativity, Juan Ángel Tapiador; the maintainer of the festivities, Sergi González; the regional deputy Luis Martínez; the councilor for Festivities, Arturo Soler; representatives of the municipal corporation; the president of the Local Festival Board, Santiago López; as well as the members of the Court of Honor of the Virgin of the Rosary and Santa Quitèria.
One of the great attractions of the day were the traditional decorated carts, which once again filled the pilgrimage with color and creativity. The first prize went to the 'penya' L'Escàndol, the second to 'penya' La Kalanya, and the third to 'penya' L’Avagelio.
The charitable aspect was also present, as the funds raised from the sale of ribbons and scarves will be entirely donated to the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) of Almassora. During the route, the traditional 'rotllet i copeta' (a local snack and drink) was distributed among the pilgrims, and children's activities were organized in the natural area for the enjoyment of the little ones.
“"It is moving to see every year the affection, faith, and respect with which Almassora accompanies its patron saint. Santa Quitèria is part of our identity and represents the unity of an entire town around its roots and traditions."
At noon, a solemn mass was held in honor of the patron saint, and subsequently, the Associació Cultural El Torrelló performed the traditional square dance at the hermitage gates. The day continued with the massive monumental paella sponsored by CaixAlmassora.
The thousands of Almassora residents who ascended to the natural area were able to witness the transformation of this space, thanks to the renovation works around the Santa Quitèria bridge, which now features a modern hostel and a functional viewpoint square, in addition to the landscape adaptation of the Millars riverbank. This project, with a budget of approximately 2.5 million euros, is part of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan funded by the European Union.
This afternoon, starting at 6:00 PM, the return of the pilgrimage is scheduled, with the transfer of Santa Quitèria from her hermitage to the Church of San José and subsequently to the Church of the Holy Christ of Calvary, accompanied by thousands of people and the lighting of traditional bonfires as the image passes. The patron saint festivities will continue next Friday, May 15, with the anticipated Esclat de Festa in the Plaza Mayor, marking the beginning of ten intense days of celebrations with nearly 150 events for all audiences.
