If a survey were carried out, it would likely show that the majority of the Catalan population is unaware that Raimat is a town in Segrià, currently decentralized from the municipality of Lleida, since the name is associated with the wineries there. However, the Raimat Arts Festival project that Raimat Castle has organized since last year, for the benefit of the Raimat Lleida Community Foundation, seeks above all to enhance the territory. This is stated by its president, Elena de Carandini Raventós, great-granddaughter of winegrower Manuel Raventós Domènech who, upon retiring from Codorniu, at the age of 52, dedicated herself to searching for the best territory to grow the most aromatic fruit.
The festival, a fusion of classical music, art, gastronomy and wine, could eventually become a Peralada de Lleida. In its second edition - from October 6 to 8 - it is reaffirmed as a means for a social, economic and environmental impact "that transforms the territory." Guitarist Pablo Sáinz-Villegas, a classical star who has been a soloist with the Berlin Philharmonic, has been chosen artistic director of a program that will feature his art as well as that of the Canarian soprano (trained in Barcelona) Raquel Lojendio, the composer and pianist Albert Guinovart, who made his debut at Carnegie Hall this year, and the Lleida harpist Berta Puigdemasa.
Twinned with the Napa Valley Festival and the La Rioja Festival, the Raimat will allocate all profits to promoting water regeneration projects this time. “It is about having a positive impact on the territory and its citizens,” insist De Carandini.
“It is logical that Raimat is associated with the winery, because at the beginning everything was linked,” the president explained these days at a Cercle del Liceu lunch organized by the Peña Ecléctica. “In 1914, my great-grandfather retired and started another project. The purchase of 3,000 hectares of scree, with an old castle and an oak tree, which is the Raimat estate, then belonging to Picard. The property, which was acquired from Pedro de Andrés, a Rioja engineer, author of the train from Zaragoza to Barcelona and the Catalunya and Aragón irrigation canal, was rented at that time for hunting to members of the Círculo Ecuestre... “but my great-grandfather settled this agreement.” “He wanted to plant. The saltpeter was such that his vines died, but he planted them again. In 1914 he was already talking in his books about the carbon footprint, climate change and the soil... The Mancomunitat commissioned him to write about forest repopulation. And he already indicated how the trees were changing the climate in Raimat, he spoke of the enrichment of the town..."
Raventós called Antoni Gaudí to design the wineries and some houses, “but he was involved with the Sagrada Família and he passed it on to his disciple Rubió i Bellver, who designed the town in the shape of a star, with the church (where this Sunday there will be a harpist concert), the cooperative, the school.... at each end."
The Codorniu company was the owner of all that, although over time it gave it up. The last thing was the cemetery, which has now been transferred.
“People believe that Raimat Lleida is a corporate foundation, but no, it is not the Grup Codorniu Foundation, although we are a part of it. It is the name of the town and the province of Lleida, just like the festival. The Raimat winery supports him, but he has also gone to visit the Vinya dels Artistes and other wineries in the area.”
The festival has four chefs, two of them with stars and the other two, young ones. The concert on Saturday (7 p.m.) has dinner before, during and after. And there are thirty local producers with their QR codes who serve the best they have. One, from Les Garrigues, another from Aitona... Oh, and Guinovart will play Granados on the piano in tribute to Lleida.
“Here we start from the local to go to the universal. We talk about our roots, about the land, because we have to be aware that this will one day end. Everyone is invited to get to know Lleida, which is the great unknown. When everything is exhausted, we still have Lleida,” concludes Maria Guinovart, the sculptor's daughter. The Espai Guinovart Agramunt will present two pieces linked to the territory and sustainability: one talks about the Lleida garrotín; the other is the emblematic installation Con-torn En-torn, which evokes the Siscar forest (Urgell), where he spent part of his childhood and discovered the value of nature...
