Esbart Santa Anna Restores 1956 Historic Standard, Hands to Escaldes-Engordany Council

The Esbart Santa Anna has completed a six-month restoration of its historic standard, dating back to 1956, which the Escaldes-Engordany parish council has now taken custody of for safekeeping.

Originally commissioned by the recently formed Orfeó d'Escaldes, the standard—measuring 135 by 78 centimetres and made of synthetic fabric—was inherited by the Esbart Santa Anna after the choir disbanded in the early 1960s. Its president, Manuel Rodríguez, noted the logical connection, as many choir members also danced with the group. Since then, the standard has accompanied the Esbart to every performance, both locally and abroad, serving as a symbol of the parish's cultural history and collective memory across generations.

Signs of wear from decades of travel and exposure became evident after its last outings at the 2023 Bavarian folklore festival and the previous year's Santa Anna festa major. The piece showed stains, tears, colour loss from weathering, and fabric distortions caused by a stiffened inner lining.

Restoration, carried out by Retoc Restauració with textile specialist Montserrat Xirau—who had previously worked on Canillo's Sant Serni standards—involved cleaning and consolidating the fabric, repairing tears, and attempting to restore original colours where possible. Mireia García, involved in the project, explained that decolouration proved irreversible, and stain removal risked further damage to the soluble inks, as the fabric had never been cleaned before. The inner lining was removed to correct bunching, while the 280-centimetre brass pole was cut into two sections with internal threading for easier transport. The crowning lyre was rebuilt using a silicone mould, and the upper crossbar—along with 16 commemorative ribbons dating back to 1956—was repaired.

Culture councillor Valentí Closa described the work as excellent, emphasising its great symbolic value to the parish and the need to preserve it for future generations.

The restored standard will be stored in custom boxes at the Culture Department until a bespoke display case allows permanent public exhibition. It will appear only for the annual festa major in Plaça de Santa Anna. The Esbart plans to produce a replica within a year for regular use.