Roca Prize
| Roca Prize | |
|---|---|
 Emblem and Medal of the Roca Prize | |
| Awarded for | Outstanding contributions to the region in the sciences, humanities and public affairs. |
| Sponsored by | Fundación Monsa |
| Location | Prince's Palace of Monsa |
| Country | Monsa |
| Presented by | Letizia Giusti of Monsa, Sovereign Princess of Monsa |
| First awarded | 1915; 109 years ago |
| Website | premiosroca |
The Roca Prize (Spanish: Premio Roca) is a set of international prizes awarded in Monsa by the Monsa Foundation and presented by the Sovereign Princess of Monsa Letizia Giusti in representation of the people of Monsa. It is awarded in recognition of academic, cultural, scientific and humanitarian advances to organisations and personalities. Since its creation in 1915, it has been awarded 431 times.
The prize is named after Nicolás Roca, a Monsan diplomat, philanthropist and writer whose work in promoting peace, mediating during conflicts and literature made him gain international recognition. The prize was created in 1915 by the then Prince of Monsa Fernando IV Giusti after Roca's death to continue his legacy of promoting and sponsoring human development in different fields. The first set of prizes were inaugurated by Fernando IV and since then, the awards ceremony is considered part of the tradition of life in the Principality. Throughout the decades, the Roca Prizes have recognised different important advances for humanity and several organisations like the Astyrian Federation of Red Cross Societies, the Lorecian Community or the Regional Environmental and Ecological Fund as well as personalities such as Mahya Taheri, Pedro Garre and Marie von Thurn.
The prize is annually awarded in a solemn ceremony at the Prince's Palace of Monsa, to which numerous royals and important figures assist. The prize is commonly handed by the person that bears the title of Sovereign Prince or Princess of the Principality of Monsa and includes a diploma, a sculpture and a special medal in addition to a monetary prize of approximately 100,000 Monsan Francs. The prize is awarded in the fields of Art, Medicine, Literature, Social Sciences, Social Progress and Scientific Research.
Background
The Roca Prizes were established in 1915 by the Prince Fernando IV Giusti of Monsa after the death of Nicolás Roca, who in his will left the intention of creating a foundation from where the people of the Principality of Monsa would award advances on the fields of arts, sciences, humanities and public affairs. Nicolás Roca, born in Monsa in 1837, was a well-known philanthropist, diplomat and writer. He was diplomat and ambassador at numerous foreign missions of Monsa overseas from where he promoted the peaceful resolution of conflicts and served as an instrument for the recognition of Monsa as an important actor in the foreign relations. Despite his profession, Nicolás was also known in Monsa as a writer and is considered in Astyria as one of the most important writers of the Spanish speaking world. Although Roca was born in a wealthy family of the Principality, his wealth came mostly from his work as a writer and ambassador, he was also an art collector and one of the most important contributors in several museums of Monsa.
Nicolás Roca, who was also a close friend of the Prince Fernando IV, instructed the creation of the set of prizes in his will to be established after his death, which happened in 1915. In his will, Roca specified the creation of an award that would be given in representation of the Monsan people. Fernando IV, who was aware of this, created the Roca Foundation (Fundación Roca), which later became the Monsa Foundation (Fundación Monsa) from which a special committee is in charge of selecting the awarded. During its first years, monetary prizes were in charge of the Foundation as it was expressed in Roca's will. Since its creation, the prize has been given to those whose contributions in six different areas have been in benefit of mankind, these six areas were Medicine, Scientific Research, Literature, Arts, Social Sciences and Social Progress.
First prizes
The nominations for the first ceremony of the Roca Prize took place during the first half of 1915, moment in which the special committee received more nominations than expected. The ceremony took place the 18 of October at the Prince's Palace of Monsa, setting the tradition that would be kept alive until today. The committee selected, out of all nominations, the first six laureates that constituted special importance for the life in the region back then.
Great Astyrian War and onwards
During the Great Astyrian War, which extended from 1920 until 1925, the Roca Prize Committee decided to suspend the ceremonies and not award any of the prizes. In the subsequent years that followed the conflict, the committee decided to continue its activity but with a special focus on the 'reconstruction of humanity'. Due to this, the first awarded prize after the Great War was the Roca Prize in Social Progress, awarded in 1926 to the Astyrian Federation of Red Cross Societies "in recognition of their invaluable and disinterested work during the conflicts across all nations of Astyria", it was also the first time an organisation received the prize.
Since then, the Roca Prize ceremony has acquired prestige, being the Roca Prize in Social Progress known as an important award in recognition of those whose work develops in the field of humanitarian aid and promotion of peace. As the Great Astyrian War was left behind, the committee in charge of the Roca Prize resumed their task awarding the complete set back again in 1927; that same year, Hildegard Mann, former Prime Minister of Nidwalden received the Roca Prize in Social Progress, being the first and only Head of Government that received the prize while still being in office, it was awarded to him in recognition of promoting peace and consensus in the Lorecian continent.