For both begins a year full of unforgettable experiences, joys, pure excitemen.

The entrance of the Courts of Honour in the City Council scored the central moment of the act. It was first the turn of the Fallera Main Childish, Ariadna: “Valencian village, falleros and falleras, in virtue of the attributions that confers me the laws and to proposal of the Central Joint Fallera, I appoint and proclaim in my name and in the name of the City Fallera Main Childish of Valency to the girl Ariadna Galán  García.

Emotion without limits in the sweet face  of the girl . Moments afterwards was the turn ofª M Pilar:“Valencian village, falleros and falleras, in virtue of the attributions that confers me the laws and to proposal of the Central Joint Fallera, I appoint and proclaim in my name and in the name of the City Fallera Mayor  of Valencia to Mrs. Pilar Giménez Santamarina”.

Arrived the turn of the speeches, the first,  the Major´s speech. She congratulated  the new falleras and remembered  of the responsibility that comports to represent the enthusiasm, the whishes  and the feelings of the more of 120.000 falleros that maintain alive the Falla´s party. Relatives and friends of  Mª Pilar and Ariadna and Ariadna were living  these incredible moments, so often dreamed.

And it  came the culminating moment of the act, the Anthem of Valencia and the Anthem of Spain. Later, a party was celebrated in the Crystal Hall, where they  presented to  our new queens two “alfabeguers” created by the craftsman Xavier Claur. A fantastic evening that Ciberfallas lived, as  always, in the first plane.

Crowds of onlookers and all the Fallas Committees gather beneath the Serranos Towers, one of historical Valencia’s best-known monuments, usually on the last Sunday in February.

Crida 2009 Photo:Lázaro de la Peña

After a spectacular inaugural display of light, sound, music and fireworks, the “Fallera Mayor” of Valencia (elected festival queen), surrounded by her Court of Honour and the city authorities, invites everyone to enjoy the imminent fiesta, proclaiming its excellence and virtues.

fallas from Valencia

Marta Agustín Fallera Mayor 2009 Photo: Lázaro de la Peña

Fallera Mayor of Valencia de 2008

The revered figure of the Fallas Queen acquires more importance than the President of the Fallas Commission himself. She is chosen from among the young ladies belonging to the Commission.

She will have her own Court of Honour comprising a selection of graceful young ladies. All this is arranged long before the actual festivity in what is known as the “exaltation”, or the election of the Adult and Child Queens and their Courts.

In the 1940s, the Fallas Queen of Valencia was a young lady from the aristocracy or the upper middle class, but when the first democratic city council was formed, this opportunity was given to any young lady who was willing to compete for the position. Each Fallas Commission nominates a young lady for Queen, plus a child of their choice as the Children’s Fallas Queen.

They undergo a careful election process in which physical beauty, grace, poise, culture and traditional costumes come under close consideration.

Exaltación falleras of Agrupación de Russafa

Fallera Mayor de Valencia

Exaltación Fallera Mayor of Valencia 2009

Fallera Mayor is the Queen of the Falla for a year. Each falla-community has one, but overall one is chosen to be the Fallera Mayor of the entire Valencia. She is the face of the festival, the representative of the Fallas and she will make many ritual visits to Valencian organisaions, as well as presiding on all major events.

There is also Fallera Mayor Infanil – the Queen for children.

The title of Fallera Mayor is an extremely prestigious thing in Valencia and the competition is fierce. It costs a lot of money too – just the dress will run into many thousands of euros.

You are not likely to meet the Fallera Mayor of the festival (although you will see her from afar presiding over carnivals, events, ceremonies, etc), but you will see many Fallera Mayores of their fallas, heading the parade of the falla in their neighbourhoods. While all of the falleras usually wear the typical Valencian dress, Fallera Mayor can be distinguished by the wide band across her torso, in the colours of the Valencian flag.

Exaltación Fallera Mayor of Valencia 2009