NABATEROS WORKS AND HOW TO BUILD A NABATA

XIX Nabatero descent of the Gállego river, invitation to collaborate in this tradition.


The Association of Nabateros d'a Galliguera invites all those who wish to collaborate with the recovery 
of this tradition that has been declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO to join this association.


Nabatero working days in 2023 will be:

– Saturday April 8: twist berdugos


Murillo de Gállego on the river beach.

– Friday 14, Saturday 15, Sunday 16 and Saturday 22 April: School for nabateros and construction of nabatas.


Murillo de Gállego to Santa Eulalia de Gállego

– Sunday April 23: descent of nabatas down the Gállego river.

musical accompaniment of Gaiters d'a Tierra Plana.

The objectives of the association which are:

– Maintain the recovery of an ancient tradition.

– Raise awareness among the population of the region and the entire community of the environmental values ​​of a living river.

– Seek sustainable development with the natural environment.

– Raise awareness of the importance of cultural heritage and the river as a living ecosystem with activities and the descent of the nabata.

 In the past eighteen years, numerous nabateras from the area, with the help of the Nabateras of Sobrarbe and Hecho, have made 
the descent of a nabata (in 2012 there were two nabatas). The tasks that the nabateros carry out in several days of 
preparation and work are, in the first place, to cut the serges or berdugos to tie the nabata. On a second day, twist the twills / berdugos 
to tie the nabata. In the days before the descent of nabata in the old mill of Murillo de Gállego, the nabata is prepared 
with the work of plate: marinate the wood, prepare the mortaza and drill, mount them with shells and the timbers to tie, 
then tie the trampos with warts twill.

To finish the construction of the nabata on the day of its descent, which this year 2023 is Sunday April 23, 
you have to water the trampos, attach them, put on the t-shirts, the oars and the wardrobe.

Many other volunteers carry out support work, for which we ask for your collaboration, as they are very 
important for this activity to be carried out. This year will be the fourteenth descent of nabatas down the Gállego River,
 which is establishing itself as an important cultural and tourist attraction in the Hoya de Huesca-Plana de Uesca region.

The descent is made by the Gállego river, the Flumen Gallorum, a river that has historically been a water path for rafts or nabata.
 For centuries, the nabateros or almadieros of La Galliguera transported wood by the river, taking it from the forests of the Pyrenees 
and San Juan de la Peña, to the towns and cities of the plain, where it was sold for the construction of houses, or even to the sea, by the Ebro, 
to make boats. With the meltwater the trunks were lowered, tying them and forming platforms called rafts or nabatas, which were directed 
by the rafters with long oars.

They stopped navigating the Gállego in the first decade of the 20th century, both due to the construction of the La Peña Reservoir 
and the arrival of the railway, which allowed faster and more comfortable transportation. 
The nabatas have recovered almost a century later, from this association that hopes to continue favoring the recovery of this activity.

More information: Pedro Borau, President of Asociation : 626 91 40 40