Within the framework of the celebration of the 120 years of the Feast of San Antonio Negro of the Guillén brothers, the Leon Center took a cultural tourism excursion to Yamasain the province Mount Silver.
Accompanied by a delegation headed by Awilda Reyesgeneral coordinator of Cultural Animation; Mario Nunez, Communications and Marketing Manager; and Wilfredo Padroncoordinator of Cultural Projects of the institution, the participants were able to learn about and enjoy this traditional activity where significant expressions of Dominican identity converge.
The party, which was held through the coordination of Edis Sánchez, anthropologist and associate researcher, included the participation of the Brotherhood of the Holy Spirit of the Congos of Villa Mella, declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the UNESCO.
The day began with a mass and pilgrimage through the streets of Yamasá, carrying the image of San Antonio Negro, until reaching the plot of the Guillén brothers., where those present received him with veneration, to the rhythm of traditional music and dance. The activity included typical expressions such as touches of palos, gagá, merengue, as well as gastronomic and artisanal manifestations of the country.
Residents of Yamasá, visitors from other locations in the country, as well as from abroad, enthusiastically participated in the celebration, which presents as an attraction the opportunity to learn about different expressions of popular Dominican religiosity.
About the Feast of San Antonio Negro
At the end of 1880, Albertina Torres and Jesús María Bonilla arrived in Yamasá from Montecristi with an image of Saint Anthony and in 1904 they created the tradition of the promised festival in honor of the saint.
For 92 years this tradition was maintained by three generations of the family, with responsibility for it falling in 1996 to the fourth generation, represented by Ramón Antonio, Manuel Antonio, Jesús Antonio and Esteban Antonio Guillén, who, like the rest of the family have, out of devotion, Antonio as their middle name.
