(source: Sme-Stanislava Smadišová)
The Alma-centrum civic association prepared a programme for the afternoon of January 22, part of which was the founding of the Gemersko-turniansky rád rytierov vín sv. Urbana / Gemer-Turňa Military Order of the Wines of St Urban. It also included a celebration of the 20th anniversary of Visegrad cooperation. The event took place in Jablonov nad Turňou in Rožňava district, in the town’s historical Granárium building.
“Participants have become witnesses to the festive ceremony of the birth of an Order with all due insignia. After the pledge of loyalty, the founding members received festive attires and introduced their flag and coat of arms,” Alma-centrum member Silvia Pápaiová told the TASR newswire. She added that the winegrowers who have entered the order presented their wines.
A folklore band and a traditional local snack eaten with wine – bread spread with fat and sliced onion – were both a must. “The Gemer-Turňa Military Order of the Wines of St Urban does not appear as a new organisation. It stems from the philosophy of creating regional trademarks which are an unambiguous sign of quality for each individual region’s visitors. Founders of the order include local vintners but also operators of services for tourism who try to promote local viticultural traditions through their work,” Pápaiová added.
Preserving these traditions is one of the conditions for being allowed to enter the order, as is offering good services for tourists along the Turnianska vínna cesta / Turňa Wine Route and across the whole Slovenský Kras region. The event, co-organised by Alma-centrum and Gemersko-turniansky región: Turnianska vínna cesta, was also supported by the Visegrad Fund.
