The Commission that will program the events for the 700th anniversary of Benidorm has been established and is advancing its first actions

A stamp from the Post Office and a coupon from ONCE will promote the event

The Commission in charge of programming the events to commemorate the 700th anniversary of Benidorm was set up this morning in the plenary hall of the Town Hall; a constitutive session in which some of the first actions to be developed on the occasion of this event were put forward. The mayor, Toni Pérez, together with the honorary president of the commission, professor Rafael Alemany, chaired this meeting in which almost all of the more than 30 members of this body, coordinated by professors Pasqual Almiñana and Barbara Alemany, participated. 

During the session, the logo for the 700th anniversary was presented, the work of local artist Miguel Bayona, who designed the image for the centenary of Pere Mª Orts i Bosch and is also responsible for the design of the monolith on Avenida 9 d'Octubre and the badges that are awarded each year on the occasion of the Distinció Cultural 'Ciutat de Benidorm'. The logo has different variants, which will be used depending on the use that will be given to the image, including one of them graphic references to the 1521 copy of the Carta de Poblament granted by Admiral Bernat de Sarrià on May 8, 1325.

The mayor has indicated that this logo will be included this year “in all digital and paper communications” carried out by the City Council, and has announced that a specific space will be set up on the municipal website for this anniversary in which all the information and activities generated by the Commission will be published.

Toni Pérez also said that, within the previous work carried out by the City Council to promote and give visibility to the 700th anniversary at a national level, contacts have been maintained with Correos and ONCE for the issue of a commemorative stamp and coupon. According to the mayor, the intention is to present both to the public next April, in coordination with both entities. 

“It is a very important moment for Benidorm and the aim is for everyone to know that we are celebrating, that we are celebrating our 700th anniversary,” said the mayor, who has advocated that the programme to commemorate the founding of the city be extended throughout 2025 in order to “reach all audiences and make people who visit us at any time of the year part of this anniversary.” 

Members of the '700th Anniversary Commission'

The creation of the 'Comissió del 700 aniversari' was unanimously approved at the plenary session on 27 January with "the intention of promoting activities and events to celebrate this anniversary and involve civil society in it". Its main function is to "propose and organise as many initiatives as are considered appropriate in order to spread this commemoration".

The Commission, formally established today, is made up of representatives of Benidorm's civil society and is presided over by Mayor Toni Pérez. The honorary president is Rafael Alemany Ferrer, PhD in Hispanic Philology and Professor of Catalan Philology; while the First Deputy Mayor of Benidorm, Ana Pellicer, is the vice-president. The coordinators of the body are Professors Bárbara Alemany Barceló and Pascual Almiñana Orozco; while the head of the Municipal Archive, María Victoria Blázquez Soldevila, and Professor María José Lozano Pérez are in charge of the technical secretariat of the Commission.

The 'Committee for the 700th Anniversary of the founding of Benidorm' also has seats occupied by the people and entities awarded the 'Ciutat de Benidorm' Cultural Distinction: ACR La Barqueta, Taula del Bon Profit, Colla de Xirimiters, Unión Musical, CEIP Ausiàs March, Societat Musical l'Illa, Club de Pilota de Benidorm, Rafael Doménech, Francisco Amillo, Francesc Xavier Llorca, Eusebi Chiner, Francisco Pérez Bayona, Benidorm Choral Group, José Albero, Jaume Ferrer and Juan Antonio Espinosa. 

Also members are the people chosen as representatives of the directors of Primary and Secondary education in public, subsidised and private educational centers in the city, as well as the directors of the municipal conservatories of Music and Dance, one person designated by the Neighborhood Council and another by the Grup Carta de Poblament de l'Associació de Pensions 'Verge del Sofratge'.

The Commission will meet periodically to outline the programming of the commemorative events that are considered.