Riurau Vius and Amics de Thiviers, 9 d’Octubre Vila de Xàbia 2026 Awards

The Plenary of the Xàbia Town Hall approves the two recognitions, which highlight the defense of heritage and local culture and more than five decades of friendship with the French town of Thiviers

The Plenary of the Xàbia Town Hall, held today, Thursday 27 August, has approved the granting of the 9 d’Octubre Vila de Xàbia 2026 Awards to Riurau Vius and to the Amics de Thiviers Association, in recognition of their respective careers and their contribution to the cultural heritage, identity and projection of the municipality.

With these awards, the Town Hall wants to highlight, on the one hand, the work of defense, cataloguing, conservation and dissemination of the riuraus and, on the other, the career of an association that for more than two decades has worked to maintain and strengthen the ties of friendship, cultural exchange and cooperation between Xàbia and the French town of Thiviers.

Riurau Vius, for the defense and conservation of rural heritage

Riurau Vius is a civic association that promotes riuralogy, focused on the study of riuraus and on the defense, cataloguing and conservation of these emblematic buildings, so characteristic of the region.

The protection of riuraus goes beyond the conservation of their structures. It also means keeping alive the memory of traditions, customs and, ultimately, a way of life and cultural signs of identity.

Alongside this work of heritage defense, the association also develops an important dissemination facet, among which the publication of the magazine Riuralogia stands out, thus contributing to the knowledge and enhancement of this Valencian rural heritage.

The 9 d’Octubre Vila de Xàbia Award thus recognises a career linked to the preservation of one of the most representative architectural and cultural elements of the territory and to the work of disseminating its historical and heritage value.

Amics de Thiviers, more than fifty years building bridges between Xàbia and France

The second award goes to the Amics de Thiviers Association, an entity that keeps alive a bond of friendship between Xàbia and this French town in Périgord that began in 1973, when both municipalities, separated by more than 1,000 kilometres, began a relationship based on education, culture and exchange between their residents.

That initiative allowed hundreds of young people from both municipalities to participate in school exchanges, learn a new language, share experiences, learn about other realities and establish friendships that, in many cases, have lasted for decades.

To preserve this legacy and give it continuity, in 2004 the Amics de Thiviers Association was constituted, which since then has become the main driver of maintaining and strengthening the ties between both towns, culminating in the official twinning between Xàbia and Thiviers.

Over the years, the association has developed intense cultural, educational and social activity. Its trips and meetings have also served to publicise the culture of each municipality and have involved the participation of various cultural and sports entities from Xàbia, enriching the cultural and associative life of the municipality.

In 2023, the 50th anniversary of the twinning between Xàbia and Thiviers was commemorated, an event that highlighted the solidity of a relationship built on the values of friendship, coexistence, mutual respect and cultural exchange.

One of the most notable projects linked to this celebration was the publication of the book Xàbia-Thiviers. 50 anys d’amistat, a work of research, documentary compilation and historical memory that brings together photographs, testimonies, events and significant moments of this relationship. The book constitutes a valuable document to preserve and transmit to future generations a part of Xàbia's recent history and its links with Europe.

The career of Amics de Thiviers thus transcends the organisation of specific activities. For more than five decades, and for more than twenty years through the association, the project has contributed to reinforcing the image of Xàbia as an open, welcoming city committed to cooperation between peoples.

Likewise, the association has contributed to projecting the name of Xàbia beyond its borders, acting as an ambassador of the town and its cultural and human identity. Through exchanges, meetings and shared activities, it has taken the name of Xàbia to Thiviers and has brought to Xàbia the culture, traditions and people of the French region of Périgord.

All this work has been developed from the commitment of volunteering, generosity and non-profit, turning institutional twinning into a real friendship between people and peoples and contributing to the cultural and human heritage of Xàbia.

For all this, the Xàbia Town Hall recognises with the 9 d’Octubre Vila de Xàbia 2026 Award the long career of Amics de Thiviers, its social and cultural significance, its contribution to strengthening the ties of friendship between Xàbia and Thiviers, the defence of the values of coexistence and European construction, as well as its contribution to the intangible heritage and the external projection of the municipality.

The 9 d’Octubre Vila de Xàbia 2026 Awards therefore distinguish two different but complementary ways of contributing to the identity and heritage of Xàbia: the protection of memory and rural heritage through Riurau Vius and the construction of human and cultural ties beyond our borders hand in hand with Amics de Thiviers. The awards will be presented next 9 October, on the occasion of the celebration of the Day of the Valencian Community.