‘Festa sv. Vlaha’ in Brussels

On the occasion of the fifth ‘Festa sv. Vlaha’ in Brussels, winemakers from Postup and klapa Kaše visited Brussels. They were hosted by Dubravka Šuica, head of the Croatian EPP/HDZ delegation in the European Parliament.

The celebration began with the reading of the Festa proclamation in front of the Cathedral of St Michael and St Gudula and the release of doves as a symbol of freedom and peace, after which the rector of the cathedral, Claude Castiau, also performed the traditional grličanje – the “blessing of the throats”. Dubrovnik people living in Brussels, friends of Dubrovnik and employees of the EU institutions gathered for the opening of the Festa and the blessing of the throats. After the opening of the Festa, the ‘Večera od Kandelore’ was held, with a performance by klapa Kaše.

Several winemakers started the process of protecting geographical origin, and these days they have just marked 50 years of that success, so this visit to the Parliament and the EU institutions is a reward for their dedicated work. The group of winemakers was accompanied by the well-known Dubrovnik sommelier Siniša Lasan, who just last week successfully passed the exams for the Advanced Certificate at the Court of Master Sommeliers.

During their two-day stay in Brussels, the visitors had the opportunity to learn about the work of the European Parliament and to see the most important historical and tourist attractions. A lecture on the European Union and its institutions was organised for the visitors in the Parliament, after which they attended a reception at the diplomatic mission of Taiwan to the European Union.