The Cipotegato of Tarazona, on its way to becoming a Property of Cultural Interest

The Government of Aragon has initiated the procedure to declare the “El Cipotegato de Tarazona” festival—an identity symbol of the city of Tarazona—as an Asset of Intangible Cultural Interest, on the very day its traditional outing is celebrated. The resolution, signed on August 20, 2026, by the Director General of Culture and Cultural Heritage, Pedro Olloqui Burillo, is published in the Official Gazette of Aragon number 166, dated August 27, 2026, and opens a one-month public information period.

The decision is based on Law 3/1999, of March 10, on Aragonese Cultural Heritage, which defines assets of cultural interest as the most relevant parts of the community’s heritage, and the state Law 10/2015, of May 26, for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The case must be resolved within a maximum period of 18 months from its publication, and the opening of the procedure entails the immediate and provisional application of the protection regime specific to Assets of Cultural Interest.

A festive ritual with centuries of history

The Cipotegato is the character who marks the beginning of the main festivals of Tarazona in honor of Saint Atilano, celebrated every August 27. Dressed in a tricolor harlequin suit, with his face covered and carrying a cipota or whip, he emerges from the Town Hall to enter a crowd that greets him with a rain of tomatoes, in a route that begins and ends at the City Hall.

The oldest documentary references trace similar characters in Tarazona since the 17th century, referred to as “cat’s head” or “cat’s face.” The character was linked to the now-disappeared “paloteao” of Tarazona, whose last representation was documented in 1928, and after the interruption of the Civil War, he reappeared in 1942 alongside the troupe of Giants and Big-heads.

From a children’s tradition to the main protagonist

During the central decades of the 20th century, the Cipotegato was a figure linked to the world of children, but from the second half of the century, the celebration was transformed until he became the main protagonist of the patron saint festivals. In 1987, the current system of selection via public lottery organized by the City Council of Tarazona was established, in which all registered adults participate, and whose identity remains secret until the end of the route.

• The celebration continues with the Solemn Mass and the procession of the relic of Saint Atilano on August 28, as well as the offering to the Virgin of the River.
• The character shares parallels with figures from towns around Moncayo, such as Bulbuente, Ambel, El Buste, Vera de Moncayo, Grisel, or Maleján.
• Every year, thousands of people gather in the Plaza de España and along the route’s streets, with an essential role played by the peñas (social clubs) and associations of Tarazona.

Public Information and Safeguarding

Within a period of one month, any person, natural or legal, may examine the file at the offices of the General Directorate of Culture and Cultural Heritage (avenida de Ranillas, building 5 D, 2nd floor of Zaragoza), Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., or electronically through the e-Office of the Government of Aragon, and submit any allegations they deem appropriate.

The resolution emphasizes that legal protection does not seek to rigidly fix the celebration nor condition its evolution, but rather to recognize that intangible cultural heritage is dynamic and vulnerable. It recommends continuing the safeguarding measures promoted by the Fundación Tarazona Monumental in research, documentation, educational transmission, and social dissemination, and deepening the historical and ethnographic study of the manifestation.

The eventual declaration would consolidate the Cipotegato as one of the great benchmarks of Aragonese festive heritage, reinforcing the protection of a tradition that every August 27th mobilizes thousands of participants and constitutes an essential element of the collective identity of Tarazona.

Source: Official Gazette of Aragon, number 166, August 27, 2026, section V (Announcements), page 1 (official reference: BOA20260827016).