The Unamuno, friend of the Protestants prize of this year went to the Santiponce City Council in Seville, Spain.

A hundred people, including local and national institutional and political representatives, as well as evangelicals from all over the country, gathered in the Monastery of San Isidoro del Campo, recognised for its work in the recovery of Protestant historical heritage.

Juan Antonio Monroy, honorary President of Spanish news website Protestante Digital, was in charge of presenting a plaque commemorating the award. It was received by the Mayor of the city, Justo Delgado Cobo, on behalf of the City Council.

A well-deserved prize

461 years ago in that very place, a group of twelve Hieronymite monks, including Casiodoro de Reina and Cipriano de Valera, came in contact with the Bible and embraced the ideas of the Reformation, which led them to flee to other parts of Europe to save their lives in the midst of persecution by the Inquisition.

Almost half a century later, the monastery welcomed the Spanish Protestants in a ceremony of friendship, reconciling them with a past that for many remains unknown.

The rehabilitation of the monastery as a cultural and historical space, the statue dedicated to Casiodoro de Reina right in front of the noble building, and the creation of a commemorative magazine on the figure of Casiodoro were some of the arguments mentioned to give the prize to Santiponce.

Pedro Tarquis, General Director of Areópago Protestante -media platform that brings together news websites Protestante Digital, Evangelical Focus and Evangélico Digital - recalled the suffering and cruelty experienced in that place, which has now been transformed into gratitude, friendship and recognition.

“Santiponce has made a true act of historical memory with Protestants, and that is why we recognise it with this award”, said Tarquis.

The president of the Spanish Evangelical Alliance (AEE), Marcos Zapata, highlighted the spirit of tolerance and freedom of Casiodoro de Reina, who was persecuted, and not only in Spain, as an example for today.

For Emilio Carmona, AEE Secretary General, “Protestants want to make a stand for those who support freedom of conscience and expression. We do not want to be a lobby seeking our own rights, but the rights of all”.

“This is what defines Spanish Protestantism: a passionate minority that gives its life for the good of all”, added Zapata.

Casiodoro, a key figure

The historian Antonio Simoni reviewed the history of Santiponce, a town full of renowned figures, among whom Casiodoro and his translation of the Bible into Spanish stands out as a priceless legacy.

Simoni explained that “in 1562 an effigy of Casiodoro was burnt. 460 years later a statue was unveiled here, writing a historic page for our country, since it is the first statue dedicated to a Protestant”.

“Casiodoro de Reina remained faithful and left us a wonderful legacy, that of bringing the Bible closer to everyone, because it has the capacity to change our society”, pointed out Carmona.

After receiving the award, the Mayor of Santiponce, Justo Delgado Cobo, stressed that “Casiodoro's vision is the one that many of us have: that dreams can be achieved and not just for ourselves, but for the benefit of many”.

The Mayor expressed his gratitude for the award and his support for the construction of a society where ideas are not persecuted and where the common good is sought.

Thirteen editions

The Unamuno, Friend of the Protestants Prize has become an important event for Protestantism in Spain, allowing it to strengthen ties with society and build bridges based on friendship with those who do not share the same faith.

The award takes its name from the well-known friendship between Miguel de Unamuno and the pastor Atilano Coco, who was shot in the Civil War.

This is its 13th edition. Intellectuals and writers such as Antonio Muñoz Molina, José Luis Villacañas; politicians such as José María Calviño; and also different entities, among others, have previously received the award.