Les Beneïdes have once again filled the center of Palma this year with a large turnout and festive atmosphere, marked by tradition and popular culture.

Saint Anthony is the patron saint of animals and, by extension, of farmers. Muro is the town that most proudly celebrates this status of the bearded saint on his feast day (January 17). They do so with elaborate and well-attended blessings, which are the culmination of the great winter festival of the Part Forana region, celebrated with traditional songs, tambourines, and bonfires. Now, the Consell de Mallorca (Island Council of Mallorca) has declared these celebrations an Intangible Cultural Heritage Asset (BIC). Their history can be followed in the book recently published by researcher Damià Payeras Capó, entitled Saint Anthony, popular devotion and festival in Muro. "There is documentary evidence," he says, "that these celebrations have been held in the municipality since the 18th century, although they are surely older. It was the time when all the farmers adorned their altars and took them to be blessed to ensure that they would be protected throughout the year."

The Consell de Mallorca has begun the process of declaring the Benditas de San Antonio de Muro (Blessed Virgins of San Antonio de Muro) an Intangible Cultural Heritage Asset (BICIM), in recognition of their historical, cultural, social, and identity value, and their deep roots in the Muro community and the island's cultural heritage. The declaration must be definitively ratified by the Plenary Session of the island institution.