News
XVIII Edition of the Valvi Foundation Awards of Girona
The Valvi Foundation recognizes the career of Xicu Cabanyes, the Friends of UNESCO of Girona and SOS Costa Brava in the eighteenth edition of its awards.
This past Tuesday, June 9th at 7 p.m., the Valvi Foundation of Girona held the celebration of the Valvi Foundation Awards 2026 in the Miquel Martí i Pol Hall. The event was attended by institutional representatives such as Joaquim Vidal i Perpinyà, president of the Valvi Foundation, the mayor of Girona, Lluc Salellas, and the councilor for Culture of the Girona City Council, Joaquim Ayats.
In this eighteenth edition, the aim was to recognise outstanding careers in the areas of solidarity, cultural heritage and environmental heritage, in accordance with the purpose of the awards that the Foundation presents each year. The Joan Saqués i Roca Award was awarded to Xicu Cabanyes, for the Bosc de Can Ginebreda; the Salvador Sunyer i Aimeric Award to the Friends of UNESCO in Girona; and the Joaquim Codina i Vinyes Award to SOS Costa Brava.
Joaquim Vidal explained that "the awards include an original and unique prize made for the occasion, in this case, by the ceramist Emili Biarnès (Barcelona, 1956), which are a souvenir and, therefore, nothing is made of metal."
On the one hand, the Joan Saqués i Roca Award, which recognizes a career in the preservation, conservation, dissemination or restoration of the cultural and artistic heritage of Girona, has been awarded to Xicu Cabanyes, from Bosc de Can Ginebreda.
El Bosc, located in the municipality of Porqueres, is a unique sculptural space created by Cabanyes, who for more than fifty years has turned this place into a point of reference for outdoor artistic creation. With more than 150 sculptures integrated into the landscape, El Bosc constitutes a unique proposal that combines art, nature, creative freedom and citizen participation, becoming a cultural heritage of great value for the country.
The award winner's gloss was given by Jaume Fàbrega, art critic from the AICA (International Association of Art Critics).
He highlighted that Cabanyes "has always participated in all social causes from the Democratic Assembly of Catalonia and other civic struggle entities in Pla de l'Estany, such as Tint de Banyoles, among others."
The second prize awarded is the XVI Salvador Sunyer i Aimeric Prize, which is intended to recognize a career in the areas of solidarity and cooperation, and this year it was awarded to the Friends of UNESCO of Girona.
This entity was founded in 1985 and has developed intense activity in favor of culture, heritage, education and the promotion of UNESCO values. During these stages, it has promoted international cooperation projects, awareness-raising activities, educational initiatives and actions to defend heritage, consolidating itself as a reference entity in the cultural and civic life of the Girona regions.
The gloss was delivered by Albert Martí, general secretary of the FCACU (Catalan Federation of Associations and Clubs for UNESCO).
The third prize, the XVIII Joaquim Codina i Vinyes Award, which recognizes a career in the preservation of environmental and landscape heritage, has been awarded to SOS Costa Brava.
It should be remembered that this federation was formally established in 2021 and brings together more than twenty entities committed to the defense of the Girona coastline. Since its inception, it has been working to preserve the natural, landscape and cultural values of the Costa Brava, saving it from the threats arising from urban pressure and promoting a model of sustainable development that respects the territory. Its work has contributed to strengthening public awareness of the need to protect one of the most emblematic spaces in the country.
The gloss of this award was given by journalist Miquel Riera.
You may be
interested
...
