On the upcoming afternoons of December 4, 6, and 8, in the context of the Chocolate and Traditional Sweets Fair dedicated to Lluis Santapau held at Plaça Parroquial, themed experiential guided tours will be conducted about the historic connection between Vinaròs and chocolate.
The title of these tours is “Vinaròs and Chocolate: A Delicious History” and registration is now open on the calendar at www.turisme.vinaros.es and at the Tourist Office, until available spots are filled. After last year’s great reception, this edition will be recovered once again following all safety regulations.
The initiative of the Department of City Promotion and Tourist Interest, carried out by Explora Maestrat, recovered the sweetest memory of Vinaròs, a chocolate-making history of nearly 200 years.
The guided itinerary will tour the settings of the numerous chocolate factories and old points of sale that were located in the downtown area, from the pioneering Gombau factory, which opened in 1785, becoming one of the first in Europe, to the last to close, the legendary Serret factory, passing through others less well-known such as Adell, Martorell, Franco, Facund Fora…etc.
A time that evokes the historic commercial tradition of Vinaròs, an industry that was nourished by cocoa from American plantations and that reached its peak in the first third of the 20th century, when the workers’ society “La Unión” was even created to defend the interests of the thriving chocolate-making guild of Vinaròs.
Another of the settings is Carrer Sant Jaume, where Lluis Santapau i Egea (1906-1993) was born, an illustrious native of Vinaròs and pioneer in introducing the technique of chocolate figures applied to Easter monas. Confiteria Bover is also mentioned, run by Santapau’s sister and where the young pastry chef learned the technique before moving to Barcelona, where he would develop much of his career.
Santapau knew how to elevate pastry-making to an artistic level never seen before, revolutionizing the sector and obtaining numerous awards and recognitions.
The experience will end with a tasting of chocolates of various types and historical periods, as well as with gratitude to all those chocolate-making neighbors who have made the experience possible by sharing their experience, to Lluis Santapau, to the Fundació Caixa Vinaròs, etc.
An unmissable event not only for chocolate lovers but also for those interested in the history of our town…Without a doubt, a Delicious History.
