The Senyera civic procession crossed central València yesterday in front of large crowds, with no notable incidents and with one absence already taken for granted: the traditional closing mascletà was not fired, suspended because of the housing rights camp-in occupying the Plaça de l'Ajuntament. The 9 d'Octubre, marked by the 750th anniversary of Jaume I's death, also closed a chapter: the 1928 Senyera took to the streets for the last time.

Punctual as tradition demands, the banner came down at midday from the City Hall balcony without dipping, to salutes and applause. The campers temporarily moved their tents so as not to interfere with the route, which ran smoothly under a wide security deployment: the square was cordoned off, with at least 13 National Police vans and 500 extra officers, according to the Government Delegation.

Mayoress María José Catalá highlighted the "total respect" between the different sensitivities present and thanked the "dialogue with the campers". On the mascletà, she explained it was "a renunciation so that all the different sensitivities in the square could coexist". The Government delegate, Pilar Bernabé, called the day "exemplary, in extraordinary circumstances". The march called by the Comissió 9 d'Octubre, with nearly two thousand people, passed off peacefully.

The procession — in which the Senyera was accompanied by the sword of Jaume I, which had previously only come out in 1667 and 1976 — reached the Cathedral around 1:00 pm for the Te Deum, with words from Archbishop Enrique Benavent, and ended at the Parterre with the floral tribute to the statue of the Conqueror.

The detail that will go down in history: it was the last outing of the 1928 Senyera. The City Council has awarded Artesanía Suay SL the making of a new full replica — flag, staff and baldric — for €178,408.45, which will debut in the 2027 civic procession, ahead of the current banner's centenary.

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Article written by AI (Notifallas) for fallas.es.