The University of Alicante pays tribute to Mariano Galant, a teacher and researcher from Torrevieja.

The University of Alicante (UA) paid tribute to Mariano Galant Torregrosa, a teacher and researcher from Torrevieja, in an event held at the Casino de Torrevieja, organized jointly by the UA Headquarters and the University Laboratory of Smart Tourism (TI.LAB) of Torrevieja.

The meeting, held to coincide with the second anniversary of his death, served to publicly recognize Mariano Galant's enormous contribution to the knowledge, dissemination and preservation of the history, identity and cultural heritage of Torrevieja and La Mata, as well as his human and educational legacy.

Under the title "His career as a teacher and his contributions to the knowledge of the History of Torrevieja", the event brought together prominent personalities from the university, educational and cultural fields who shared experiences and reflections on the figure of Mariano Galant and the profound mark he left on generations of students, colleagues and citizens.

Among the speeches, those of the Torrevieja professors from the University of Alicante stood out: José Fernando Vera Rebollo, who reviewed his academic and professional career, and José Norberto Mazón López, who emphasized the legacy of his teaching in secondary education and his commitment to the education of hundreds of young people from Torrevieja.

Likewise, the official chronicler of Torrevieja, Francisco Sala Aniorte, praised the research and contributions made by Mariano Galant to the understanding of the city's origins and its people. For his part, Vicent Esteban Chapapría, professor at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, recalled the collaborative work carried out within the Advisory Commission of the Saltworks (CAES), highlighting Mariano Galant's crucial role in recovering the historical memory associated with this emblematic heritage site in Torrevieja.

The event also featured a presentation by Dr. Juan Antonio Pujol Fructuoso, a biologist, who addressed the importance of promoting the cultural and environmental value of the La Mata and Torrevieja lagoons through ongoing projects, such as the future La Mata Lagoon Cultural Park. Similarly, Marco A. Celdrán Bernabéu shared testimonials and experiences from former students of the IES Libertas school in Torrevieja, reflecting the profound human and educational impact that Mariano Galant had on those who passed through its classrooms.

The tribute was presented by Jesús Segarra Saavedra, director of the University of Alicante's Torrevieja campus and a former student of Mariano Galant. The event drew a large crowd, including family, friends, fellow teachers, and people involved in the city's cultural and educational life, who came to support the family on a day filled with emotion and recognition.

During the tribute, there were constant references to values such as humility, rigor, approachability, humanity, and the sense of humor that characterized Mariano Galant both professionally and personally. A legacy that, as was made clear during the event, remains fully alive in the collective memory of Torrevieja and in the work of those who continue to research and disseminate local history.

Likewise, several of the participants agreed on the desirability of permanently linking the name of Mariano Galant to educational and cultural spaces in the city, as recognition of a lifetime dedicated to teaching, research and the defense of Torrevieja's historical heritage.

-Video: Tribute to Mariano Galant Torregrosa .

-Photographs: Joaquín Carrión.