Ordino displays contested bear mask after ownership deal with heir

The new Ordino town council is displaying the contested bear mask in a plexiglass case just inside the municipal building. The mask, central to the Festa de l’Ossa — a festival with UNESCO recognition — sits in the exhibitor without any mention of that distinction on the accompanying plaque.

The council recently signed an agreement with Marc Benazet, a former communal councillor and heir in the family of Glòria Benazet, that recognises him as owner of the old mask. Benazet has also registered a trademark featuring the mask image. The plaque attached to the vitrine describes the object as “the head of the last bear of Ordino” and states it was “temporarily ceded to the honorable comú of Ordino by Ms. Glòria Benazet Gacia, in homage to the memory of the country and as recognition of its historical and patrimonial value.” That reference has caused surprise because Glòria Benazet is deceased.

Town officials have not publicly detailed the agreement, which appears to have two main effects: it establishes Benazet’s ownership of the mask and gives him a formal instrument to support his claims, complementing his trademark registration. The agreement does not, however, resolve disputes with the local cultural association that promotes the festival.

Attempts by the two consuls, Maria del Mar Coma and Eduard Betriu, to broker a deal between Benazet and the Associació de Cultura Popular d’Ordino (ACPO) did not succeed. The proposed arrangement would have allowed the association to use the mask and its image freely in exchange for acknowledging Benazet’s property rights; the association ultimately declined the offer.

Cross-claims between Benazet and ACPO remain unresolved, and related matters are on hold. Benazet has not renounced the trademark nor contacted the registration office to cancel it, and researcher Albert Roig — author of a study book on the festival whose cover reproduces the mask image — has not withdrawn his publication.