Looking back at these 25 years of the unofficial Verges Procession website, laprocessodeverges.com, is a fascinating journey to the early days of the internet. In 2026, I celebrate a quarter-century since my personal project first launched.
It all began as the adventure of an enthusiast eager to share our tradition with the world. Today, my page has become a living, constantly evolving reference guide.
In this article, I want to share how I’ve gone from hand-coding to using artificial intelligence. To top it off, I invite you to a very special digital museum.
The Origins: Manual Coding, Ya.com, and a Lot of Passion
It all began on August 23, 2001. Back then, the internet was a very different place, and websites were hosted on free servers like Ya.com or Eresmas.
As an amateur, I built the pages using classic software like FrontPage. Everything was based on HTML tables, black backgrounds, and animated GIF flames.
The desire to reach a global audience was there from day one. Thanks to my mother’s tireless help, I translated the first texts, typing them out word for word.
The Golden Age of Webmaster Awards
In the early 2000s, social media didn’t exist to drive traffic. Recognition came from webrings and design awards given by other users.
- Manual Recognition: Other creators would visit my site, read about the Dance of Death, and give positive feedback.
- The Famous “Gold Awards”: Receiving a virtual gold award or a silver bear was a huge boost of motivation for me.
- A Real Community: These small awards encouraged me to keep investing countless hours in front of my computer screen.
The Leap to the laprocessodeverges.com Domain
As the Verges Procession grew in popularity, this digital space had to evolve with it. That’s why in 2008, I took the final step and registered the current domain.
Moving away from free servers marked a significant professionalization of the project. I also adopted WordPress, a key decision to make the site mobile-friendly.
My goal has always been clear: to offer the best possible information on the schedules, history, and secrets of our tradition to all visitors.
An Evolving Website: Artificial Intelligence and Four Languages
Today, I still manage the website as a personal project. Artificial intelligence helps me research topics, prepare drafts, review translations and solve technical questions, but every piece of content is checked before publication.
With WordPress and continual adaptation, the website now offers content in Catalan, Spanish, French and English. The aim is to help both local readers and international visitors learn more about the Procession of Verges.
Technology has changed enormously since 2001, but the purpose remains the same: to explain this tradition through clear, useful and accessible information, while preserving the project’s digital memory.
Visit My Retro Digital Museum
To celebrate this quarter-century milestone, I wanted to recover the exact code where it all began. I have restored the original version of the website, untouched since 2001.
If you want to feel a bit of nostalgia and see what the internet looked like over two decades ago, I have prepared a true time capsule for you.
Click here to visit our 2001 Digital Museum
Thank you so much for joining me over all these years. I assure you that the passion for sharing the Verges Procession is as strong today as it was on day one!
Last updated: April 26, 2026
