THE 4DAYS MARCHES FEELING
The history of
Via Gladiola
St. Annastraat, one of the most famous streets in Nijmegen, is named after a chapel dedicated to Saint Anna that was demolished in 1598. But one day a year, St. Annastraat is renamed Via Gladiola. On this day, a real triumphal procession moves down this street on the final day of the 4Days Marches when thousands of walkers are cheered along as returning heroes. Lined with hundreds of chairs, sofas and grandstands during the event, the kilometres-long Via Gladiola goes in a straight line to Keizer Karelplein, from where you can see the bell tower of Saint Stephen's Church from 1274 in the background.
But where does the name Via Gladiola come from? The gladiolus is said to have been a symbol of victory in ancient Rome. The name gladiolus is the diminutive of the Latin word gladius, for ‘sword’ (or ‘little sword’). Another name for the gladiolus is sword lily due to its long, thin trumpet reminiscent of lilies. Dutch legend has it that the expression ‘Dood of de gladiolen’ (death or the gladioli) dates back to Roman times. Gladiators fought to the death in the arenas to entertain the audience. The loser lost his life and (again according to Dutch legend) the winner was showered with gladioli thrown into the arena.
And so, the presentation of the gladiolus has become a tradition befitting of the oldest city in the Netherlands, known to the Romans as Ulpia Noviomagus Batavorum (and today known as Nijmegen). Besides its cultural-historical connection, the sword lily is also economically linked to the 4Days Marches. The flower is harvested mainly in the summer months. In 1983, a real 4Days Marches gladiolus was even cultivated for the first time. When the weather conditions are right, this unique variety comes into bloom in the third week of July.
Photos of the entry in the 1930s show that gladioli were already frequently carried. The image of all those walkers holding a gladiolus or cradling a bunch in their arms soon became inextricably linked with the entry, the last part of the 4Days Marches, and as a result this part of the route was eventually renamed Via Gladiola.
Welcoming party The Via Gladiola has local access roads running along both sides. Covering a distance of 3.5 kilometres, the route to the finish line is lined with rows of spectators. People hang out of windows and organise parties on terraces and balconies of townhouses and offices. There is a certain dynamic between the walkers and spectators along this part of the route, with the latter also being referred to in Dutch as inhalers, meaning something like the ‘welcoming party’. The atmosphere is cheerful, festive and positive, and all the walkers are greeted with applause. At the end of Via Gladiola are the grandstands and from here images are broadcast to TVs across the land. It is here that participants turn right for their last few metres to the finish line at De Wedren, and to their well-deserved 4Days Marches Cross. Via Gladiola: an unforgettable experience, and a place where most walkers, despite the fatigue and pain, decide to do it all again next year.
