Gema Román Carrasco: "Everyone Who Sees the Hogueras Falls in Love with Them"

Gema Román Carrasco is a born and bred foguerer. It was in 2024 when she donned the mantilla again to reign as bellea in the Virgen del Remedio-La Cruz district. She did so hand in hand with her daughter, the commission's child bellea, with whom she has shared unforgettable moments.

This Alicante native highlights in her anecdote "the look on my daughter's face when I told her she was going to be the adult bellea." It was her daughter who made the proposal, that of not having representation, and thus Gema Román Carrasco fulfilled it. However, in the utmost privacy, so when she told her, "my daughter couldn't believe it."

Thus, Gema Román Carrasco adds a new sash to her career: she was an adult lady in Sèneca-Autobusos in 1999 and bellea of Colonia Requena in 2000. In 2025, she will return to the Alicante bullring as a candidate for bellea del foc 2025, being one of the veterans (as she proudly calls herself alongside her companions).

This Alicante native acknowledges that the Fogueres de Sant Joan are "the best and most beautiful festivals Alicante has." During the main days, "the city and streets are filled with color," whether with the planted fogueres or during the parades with Alicante residents dressed in traditional costumes. Music is also important for this Alicante native, along with the repertoire of pasodobles and traditional songs.

In this regard, Gema Román Carrasco, who confesses to having a passion for the Offering of Flowers parade to the Virgen del Remedio, firmly states that "everyone who comes to see them falls in love with them," referring to the Fogueres de Sant Joan.