The Disembarkation of 2022

The Disembarkation of 2022

In 2022, some changes were made to this festivity organised by the people of Getaria, so it was decided to hold meetings so that the citizens could choose how they wanted the disembarkation to take place on such a special date. The main changes compared to other years was that for the first time representatives from the Molucca Islands would take part, since, according to the stories and pictures of the time, with the 18 crew members of the expedition, three Moluccans arrived. Apart from this, this year we wanted to give an important role to women, especially to Elkano's mother, Catalina del Puerto, who, like many other women, had to fight for her son's inheritance, as well as to raise her family after the death of her husband, and after the loss of almost all her sons.

PART ONE: The Disembarkation

It depicts the moment when the ship Victoria arrived at Sanlúcar de Barrameda on 6 September 1522. After a long voyage of three years, 18 European seafarers and three Moorish seafarers arrived in Sanlúcar. The eighteen sailors also completed the first round-the-world voyage. The route taken by Juan Sebastián Elkano and the members of his crew to the church will be divided into two parts. The first part will depict the hardships of the round-the-world voyage (food shortages, harsh living conditions, deaths...). In the second, Elkano and his 17 sailors will go to the church of San Salvador to give thanks to Nuestra Señora de la Antigua. In this way, the visit they made to Seville Cathedral after finishing their round-the-world voyage will be represented. In this part, the 3 natives will not enter the church, as a sign of respect for their beliefs.

PART TWO: From equality to the diversity of the world

At the entrance to the church, Elkano and his crew members will meet representatives from the five continents. This representation will be made up of people who have come and gone to live in the town from those continents. Through this broad representation, we want to express a world without borders, a world that we will build together, in equality and working side by side.

PART THREE: A new world

Elkano and the members of his crew, together with the representation of the five continents, will go to the monument erected in homage to Elkano. There, the representatives of the five continents will welcome Elkano and create an image of great symbolism to represent that the world is made up of all of us. To conclude the event organised by the town of Getaria to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the circumnavigation of the world, Gora Elkano will be sung.